Given how busy we’ve been over the last few days! and the fact that Saturday evenings call out to Tyldesley, our Incident 64, in ‘venue and content’ almost foresaw in advance what amazingly we were going to do by way of an exercise tonight – thereby negating the need to hold the exercise! This evening instead saw all members assembling for a 19.30hrs start at our Base /HQ at Ladybridge Hall.
A great many required maintenance, administrative and minor training tasks were carried out tonight in place of the training exercise scheduled;
All six of our team vehicles and three trailers were checked over routinely, regards air / water / oil, by our trusty mechanics for the evening Nick Berry and Phil Crook, our oldest Land Rover Ambulance, a 2003 plated Defender, had its front bumper rubbed down and repainted – only for Steve Nelson and Chris Greenhalgh – being supervised of course by Elaine Gilliland, to discover Land Rovers finest was now suffering badly from severe rusting at the rear of the bumper – a new bumper is the likely result.
Kit was checked over, including all our strobe lighting, vacuum splints and mattresses and casualty bags.
All six of our Trauma medical rucksacs – or rather their contents were comprehensively checked and audited, alongside our six vehicle / Base / HQ, Catering Trailer / SAR Boat, First Aid Kits, with stock rotation of dressings and disposables etc arranged, by a team of workers under Training Officer Alistair Greenhough’s direction (orders!) “no talking at the back there and get on with it!”
Our Equipment Officer – Water David Cook ably helped by our DVSD Handler Dave Marsh spent even more time trying to seal a small leak on our SAR Boat – they were reminiscent somewhat of the little boy with his finger in the Dyke!
Team kit from two retired team members was checked back in to store by our ‘Quartermaster General’ Mike Marsh and his willing assistants Tony Dawson and Michael Eddleston.
Webmaster and IT Guru Paul Brain updated and revised our website, including adding more pictures to our search of Moses Gate website report dated 15th August 2015.
Paul then went on to revise our Events and Training Programme and then make further incident report submissions to our national body – MREW.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE at one point was put in charge of a vacuum cleaner “which way up?” and by the end of the evening a lot of minor jobs had been completed.
This same evening, four of our current six Trainee members (two were unable to attend) along with full member Gary Melia, who are collectively trialling our new team training logbook, authored and edited, compiled and published by Michael Wakerley, all gave an update to Michael and our Training Officer Alistair Greenough, on their continuing successful progress with the logbook.
Finally our Equipment Officer – Ropes and Stretchers Nigel Booth was offering awareness training / instruction regards our recently purchased wire lifting bridles and bridle bags for both our Bell Mountain Rescue Stretchers.
With twenty nine team operational members attending tonight’s meeting, the lights at our Base / HQ were finally turned off and the doors locked at 01.15hrs the early hours of Thursday morning, 20th August.
Another busy day in the life of the Bolton MRT.
