At present our team benefits from data link and radio equipment which gives us direct contact with NWAS (Manchester) and to a slightly lesser degree with NWAS (Lancashire).

With the migration of all the statutory emergency services, including NWAS, to the O2 Airwaves network, we along with other local MRTs will lose such links.

Directly resulting from the recent very intensive use of MRTs in NWAS (Manchester) over the period of wintry weather in mid December to early January, NWAS (Manchester) has decided to train up a limited number of MRT members from all the teams which work in Greater Manchester in the use of their new O2 airwaves radio equipment, to aid inter-agency inter-operability.

This evening six Bolton MRT members (Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon, Mike Marsh, Dave Healey, Ken Oakes and Steve Fletcher) and five Rossendale and Pendle MRT members (Team Leader Andy Simpson, Deputy Team Leaders Paul Heywood, Graham Dalley, Ted Handley and Jenny Handley) met at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ to receive such training.

The intensive training session commencing at 20.00hr, was kindly undertaken by Eric Finch, Clinical Practice Trainer, Bolton and Wigan Group, NWAS (Manchester) and covered NWAS Ambulance Service Radio procedures, Airwave Terminal Security procedures and most importantly, a very thorough grounding in the use of the Sepura Hand Terminal Airwaves sets.

All our members and those Rossendale and Pendle MRT members present, would like to thank NWAS (Manchester) for the provision of this training, with particular thanks to Eric Finch for the informative way he (thankfully) managed to get all eleven of us present up to speed with the operation and uses of the O2 airwaves network as utilised by NWAS (Manchester)

Similar training for our colleagues in Oldham MRT, Kinder MRT and Glossop MRT, who also worked intensively in Greater Manchester during the recent snows (and at other times) is we believe being provided by NWAS (Manchester) on Thursday evening 21st January.