Every three years those holders of the MREW Mountain Rescue Casualty Care Course, have to renew their certificate, which commences with a BLS assessment and concludes with a stringent written examination and medical and trauma casualty care practical exercise scenarios.
A very comprehensive training programme has to be followed by all taking these examinations, and this year Bolton MRT (or rather our Instructor team) decided to do such over three separate weekends, with a different group of team members present at each.
Commencing at 19.00hrs on Friday 26th February, until 22.00hrs, and throughout Saturday and Sunday, 27th / 28th February, 09.00hrs until 17.00hrs, Sunday evening 28th February saw the successful conclusion of our first weekend course.
This weekend commencing Friday 18th March and completing this late afternoon, Sunday 20th March, saw our second course take place.
Fifteen team operational members attended as ‘students,’ some renewing their previously held certificates, and some for the first time.
Instructors included our newly appointed Team Leader Alistair Greenough, a full time Accident and Emergency Nurse, very experienced lay casualty care trainer Mark Scott, Nigel Booth (our Equipment Officer – Ropes and Stretchers) and Doctor John Oates, a GP, a BASICS doctor and an NWAS Merit Doctor.
Lee Cocker a member of Rossendale and Pendle MRT also attended as a ‘student.’
Our dear friends the Buckley family from Little Hulton, Dad Howard, his sons Stephen and Andrew and daughter Elizabeth, along with Sheena Davies, all kindly put their trust in all present when they acted the role of ‘exercise casualties’ in the many practical scenarios throughout the weekend.
The weekend was very intense, with advised pre course learning having taken place, alongside post course learning, for the examinations dates which have yet to be determined.
All present commented on the success of this weekend in the end of course ‘comments debrief,’ with our third and final weekend course due to take place in April 2016.
