Today the team was on display at GMFRS Horwich Fire Station during its Annual Open Day.
We attended with our BM2 Mountain Rescue Land Rover Ambulance, and our BM5 Minibus / Crewbus Ambulance.
Thankfully despite the threatening grey clouds, only intermittent light rain showers marred an otherwise warm and sunny day.
Other organisations and vehicles on display, included the Horwich based Water Pump Appliance, the new GMFRS Community Display vehicle, the British Red Cross Fire Emergency Support Service vehicle, and the Salvation Army Catering Unit.
Face painting, a bouncy castle, hoselines to squirt at a ‘burning buliding’ and lots of blue lights and sirens managed to keep the many visitors to the Open Day, young and old alike entertained.
A VIP visitor in the guise of the Mayor of Horwich, Councillor Christine Root, spent some time chatting with us at our display.
Our Support Group members present included Gillian Gregory, Sarah Hindle and Andrew Keyworth.
From the operational call out list came Trainee members Martin Battersby, Jess Ellsmore and Michael Wakerley, and full call Out list members Gill Leigh, Ana Toole, Chris Tennant and Steve O’Hara.
(Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE with his family and our Life Vice President Alan James also called in to say hello)
We met up with team friends GMFRS Watch Manager (Horwich) Craig Lunt and GMFRS Station Officer (Bolton North) Wayne Guffogg, not forgetting GMFRS Watch Manager (Horwich) Glynn McGann, a former experienced Bolton MRT team member.
Our ‘Guess the Name of the Meerkat’ competition raised £46.50p today, £31.90p was raised from our sales of second hand books and Bolton MRT wristband sales made £5.00. (A grand total of £83.40p from the kindness of visitors to our display)
During the day, the team took place in a joint RTC exercise demonstration with the GMFRS Fire crews, illustrating the removal of an injured person from a vehicle which had been involved in an ‘accident.’
Team Trainee member Martin Battersby played the injured party, who was ‘cut’ out of the car, with team member Chris Tennant providing ‘casualty care’ whilst the attendant fire fighters firstly secured the car, and then removed the roof allowing Martin to be extricated safely.
We are also present at the following GMFRS Fire Station Open Days this year; Irlam on Monday 26th August, Bolton Central on Saturday 31st August, and Bolton North (Crompton Way) at a date yet to be arranged in October.
