Today half the team was present at this years GMFRS Farnworth Fire Station Open Day, with the other half of the team present at the annual Darwen 999 Emergency Services Day.
As in Darwen, it was blue skies all day and very warm temperatures at Farnworth.
We took along two of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances, and our Control Trailer, joined later in the afternoon by a third Team Land Rover towing our 3.5m semi rigid inflatable SAR Boat on its trailer, which had travelled to Farnworth from the 999 Darwen event which had finished at 14.00hrs.
GMFRS had a wide range of their Appliances on display, including the two based Water Ladder Appliances, an Incident Response Unit, Special Incident Vehicle, an Hydraulic Ladder Platform (From GMFRS Bolton Central Fire Station) an Operational Support Unit and a Water Incident Unit from GMFRS Eccles Fire Station complete with its Rescue Boat.
A vintage Dennis Fire Engine from the Greater Manchester Fire Museum was also present, alongside Fire Service related charity stalls, including face painting (some nice face artwork by GMFRS Community Volunteer Emma) and an excellent drill and ladder display by GMFRS Cadets.
Greater Manchester Police attended with a Divisional Patrol Car and Van.
Nine Team Call Out list members were present, with a display not just of our vehicles, but also of the wide range of search and rescue equipment kept on the vehicles.
Our Trainee Drowned Victim Search
Dog, ‘Sasha’ created a lot more interest than her handler, Team member Dave Marsh ! who has previously worked as a very experienced Search Dog Handler in the team. (With the late Search Dog ‘Chi’)
Mountain Rescue Stretcher rides around the Fire Station saw many children and quite a few adults queuing up to experience what it is like to be a casualty! whilst many had a go at CPR on our resuscitation manikin.
Young and old also did the usual ‘sit in our vehicles’ (And all the Fire and Police vehicles present) and turn on the sirens and blue lights.
With thanks to the kindness of the many visitors to the Fire Station we received £96.18p in donations, all very much appreciated.
The team welcomes opportunities to display when it can, subject to other commitments, at GMFRS Fire Station Open Days, with today also presenting a great many opportunities for our team members present to liaise directly with GMFRS Firefighters and further strengthen our operational links.
(Webmaster; Later this same day after we had left the Farnworth Fire Station Open Day at its conclusion, the team was called out by GMFRS – we were subsequently stood down, to assist at an incident attended by Crews from Farnworth Fire Station and their Officer, who earlier had shown much interest in the work of the team. See Incident Report 51-2012)
