Thursday 12th December 2013.
This evening the Bolton MRT attended the regular (Circa two to three times a year) Lancashire Constabulary Search and Rescue meeting, commencing at 18.30hrs at Lancashire Constabulary Force Headquarters, Strategic Command Centre, Hutton, Preston.

Held now for a very long number of years, the meeting serves to bring together the MRTs and other search assets and agencies operating in Lancashire in a discussion forum with representatives from Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and NWAS (Lancashire).

The usual agenda items included member units updates, Incident Reviews, and items of mutual interest.

In the case of the MRTs attending, they are represented by their Team Leaders and other Team Officers involved in managing, co-ordinating and arranging emergency MRT responses.

Attending this evening were; Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, a Manager from NWAS (Lancashire and Cumbria) Broughton EOC, the Lancashire Coastline Sector Officer for HM Coastguard, a representative from HM Coastguard Lytham and Blackpool, a representative from HM Coastguard Liverpool Control, a representative for the National Police Air Service NPAS 23 helicopter operating out of BAE Systems Warton, and members of Bolton MRT (Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and John Fletcher,a member of our integral water team), Bowland Pennine MRT, Rossendale and Pendle MRT, Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO), NSARDA and an Officer from Bay Search and Rescue Team.

The meeting commenced with a presentation to all present on Bay Search and Rescue Team, by their Deputy Paul Calland.

Paul gave a very impressive overview of Bay SARTs capabilities, assets and resources, including their various land, all terrain and water based vehicles, including their HaggLunds, Land Rovers, Crewbus, transporters, Boats and Air Boat.

Paul also outlined the skillsets of Bay SART, including quicksand rescue, vehicle recovery, moorland fire support, animal rescue, flood rescue, snow rescue and support, and general search and rescue capabilities.

The meeting, as ever, was very productive with considerable discussion over its three hours duration.

Thanks are expressed to Inspector Neil Sherry of Lancashire Constabulary for Chairing tonight’s meeting, and for arranging the excellent catering provided.
(Bolton MRT and Rossendale and Pendle MRT also attend the equivalent of this meeting in Greater Manchester, currently held three times a year under the auspices of the Greater Manchester Emergency Services Liaison Group meeting, alongside other MRTs who operate in Greater Manchester)