This morning as with all previous New Year Days (For eighteen years now, commencing on 1st January 1998) the team had all four of it’s Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, its Minibus Ambulance and our Incident Control Vehicle available, at the disposal of NWAS (Greater Manchester) who were dealing with a very high volume of calls upon its services, as part of the NWAS ‘Step Up’ procedure to mobilise additional resources to cope with the situation.

We had been formally requested on New Years Eve 2015, to be available at the request and tasking of NWAS (Greater Manchester) EOC Parkway.

Two team members had attended a briefing meeting at NWAS EOC Parkway on the evening of Thursday 31st December 2015 at 20.00hrs.

The team was working alongside additional resources also drafted in to help NWAS on what is now its busiest evening and early morning of the year.

All four of our Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, Minibus Ambulance and Incident Control Vehicle were available, crewed with appropriately trained team personnel on board, all co-ordinated from our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ by our ’Control Team,’ themselves in contact with NWAS (Greater Manchester) Emergency Operations Centre, Parkway.

In total this evening we had thirteen team Call Out list members, assisted by team friend Louise Copley (helping with logging tasks) on immediate standby to assist at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ.

In total ten incidents were responded to, assisting NWAS (GMA) with the first at 00.12hrs and the last coming in at 05.14hrs.

All the calls were in the Bolton and Horwich areas,  mostly involving minor injuries and drink related injuries, with one suspected leg fracture dealt with, alongside a person with rib injuries.

By circa 06.45hrs, with all vehicles involved checked and kit used replenished, our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ was closed for the morning, with all our members present returning to catch up on some sleep.