Our weekly Wednesday evening session tonight saw team members assembling at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for a 20.00hrs start, for all attending to take part in a steep ground exercise, or for those who could not attend the first session on Wednesday 1st October 2014, their Annual CPR and BLS test, including the use of our team AED’s.

Our in – house trainers, the very experienced Mark Scott (an NWAS certified AED trainer) and Nigel Booth (again NWAS trained BLS / CPR) carried out an evening of awareness and appropriate training to get all members attending through this our annual test.

Mark Scott started with an excellent powerpoint presentation, and then it was on to the tests, for the members present.

We are very pleased to report that all nine operational Call Out list members attending to take their test tonight passed with flying colours, in addition three of our Support Group members also attended and took their test, again all passed, so congratulations to Iain Clarkson, Sarah Hindle and Lee Grice.

Meanwhile in the extensive grounds of the NWAS Headquarters of Ladybridge Hall which we are lucky to call our home, team members Paul Copley and Kris Kilshaw had set up a steep ground stretcher evacuation exercise for the rest of the team (But please also see below) which involved a further fifteen team members. this was set up in the steep sided wooded stream valley that forms the boundary of our Base / HQ.

Thanks are expressed to Jack Hargraves, a University Student and family friend of organiser Paul Copley, who kindly played out the role of an exercise casualty for us.

Other members tonight were carrying out essential kit maintenance tasks, with Dave Cook, our Equipment Officer – Water, carrying out works to our SAR Boat, our Life Vice President Alan James aided by John Dickinson were working on our SAR Alpine Lite MR stretchers, whilst Nick Berry, Phil Crook and our Equipment Officer – Medical, Nigel Booth were checking all our Casualty Bags and their ancillary contents were in order.

Paul Brain was busy all night adding photographs to our website, with our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and Training Officer Alistair Greenough were kept busy making arrangements for our 2014 Recruitment Session 1 of 3 which takes place tomorrow evening.

In total thirty of our operational Call Out list members attended this evening, with three of our Support Group members, with our Base / HQ finally being vacated at 00.50hrs on Thursday morning – a busy little evening!