On Thursday 30th October 2014, at the very kind invitation of Bolton Council, the Bolton MRT will be attending the third annual ‘Get Ready for Winter’ event, being held on Victoria Square in front of the Town Hall in Bolton.

Organised by The Civil Contingencies Unit at Bolton Council, Thursdays event is part of an on going initiative involving Government departments, various agencies and the voluntary sector, giving people information about how to keep safe and warm during the winter months and encouraging people to be resilient in their planning.

Its purpose is also to demonstrate how all the partner agencies work together meeting some of the duties of the Civil Contingencies Act including warning and informing the public and co-operation and information sharing between partner agencies.

The event will be officially opened by the Mayor of Bolton at circa 10.30hrs, with all participants scheduled to arrive to set up in the square for 09.30hrs.

We will be attending (subject of course to no call outs!) with one of our four Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances (Radio Call sign Bolton Mobile 3) our Incident Control Vehicle (BM6) and our 3.4 metre long semi rigid inflatable SAR Boat, also setting up a search and rescue equipment display alongside both our vehicles.

We will have some of our Call Out list operational members attending, including our Team Training Officer Alistair Greenough, Matthew Hailwood, Nick Berry and Steve O’Hara.

Thursday’s event promises to be much larger in content than the two previous events in 2012 and 2013.

We hope that a large number of the public will visit the event including our particular display, and show interest in our work in the local community.

The following organisations are currently scheduled to be attending:

• NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance.
• NWAS (Manchester) Bolton town centre Cycle Response Unit, with attendant Paramedic.
• Greater Manchester Police; Road Policing Unit, Community Safety Team, Officers and PCSOs.
• GMFRS: Water Rescue Unit Appliance and Rescue Boat.
• GMFRS: USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) vehicle.
• GMFRS: ‘Childrens’ Fire Appliance and the Disco / Bubbles Fire Engine!
• Salvation Army; Mobile Catering Vehicle, which will be supplying all participants hot drinks.
• Environment Agency; Various display stands including ‘Flooding’ information, and a boat.
• RAYNET.
• British Red Cross; Fire Emergency Support Service specialist vehicle.
• RSPCA Officer and a Semi Rigid Inflatable SAR Boat from their Flood Response Team.
• Bolton NHS Trust (Royal Bolton Hospital) ; Patient (CBRN) Decontamination display.
• Bolton FM Music Stage and Public Address Unit.
• Bolton Council; Civil Contingencies Unit Officers, a Snowplough / Gritter vehicle from their Highways Department, and other Environmental Services displays.
• North West 4×4 Response.
• Highways Agency; Traffic Officer Patrol Vehicle and a Snowplough / Gritter vehicle.
• Various public health and safety stalls and agencies, including Anti Crime Initiatives, Food For Life, and Operation Treacle safe4autumn.com campaign.

We extend our thanks to all at Bolton MBC Civil Contingencies Unit for organising and co-ordinating yet again this event, and also giving all who will be attending an excellent opportunity to come together to showcase all the many diverse organisations and services which operate to keep all in our local communities safe and healthy.

Please also see website ‘News’ reports dated Wednesday 31st October, Thursday 25th October 2012, Thursday 31st October and Friday 1st November 2013.

A full report on this years event will appear on our website after Thursday, 30th October 2014.