North West Ambulance Service's Specialist Response Unit celebrates 10 years of active service

THE North West Ambulance Service's (NWAS) Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) was up in 2009 in response to the national terrorist threat and has just been celebrating it's 10th Birthday! Trained up to a national standard, the team of 84 experienced paramedics, split between 2 sites in Manchester and Liverpool, use specialist equipment and skills to safely access and treat patients in difficult and hazardous conditions. NWAS was 1 of the 1st Ambulance Services to implement HART in the country. The team members are trained and equipped to safely work at heights, in confined spaces, in both swift and still water and use breathing apparatus, refreshing these skills every 7 weeks.

Joe Barrett, Head of Special Operations for NWAS, said:- "Prior to HART, Ambulance Clinicians would often have to stand back when faced with a hazardous incident and wait for specialist support from Fire and Rescue Services or Police for them to bring the patient back to a place of safety. By providing specialist paramedics with the training and equipment to be able to risk assess and manoeuvre through difficult and hazardous environments, they are now able to access patients at the point of injury so that life saving medical intervention can begin immediately. They can then continually manage the patient's condition to avoid further injury whilst partner agencies provide the rescue element."

In a large scale or major incident, the team is able to quickly identify the most seriously injured patients, prioritising and treating those patients in need of help the quickest. HART paramedics are then able to relay back information regarding the situation and size of the required Ambulance response to control as well as set up a casualty collection point and provide life saving clinical early interventions.

By training and exercising with their emergency services colleagues, they are able to plan and prepare for major incidents, creating strong and effective working relationships and providing a streamlined and strategic response to complex situations.

Joe continues:- "Over the last 10 years, the team has gone from strength to strength. The constant training the paramedics undergo, along with the equipment they use, is second to none and has proven to be life-saving on numerous occasions. Using their unique problem solving skills, teamwork and co-ordination, they are able to keep calm under pressure and apply their skills and training to help patients in a wide range of unexpected and difficult situations. I am extremely proud of the whole team, they work together amazingly, knowing each other's individual strengths and supporting each other after difficult incidents, they're like 1 big family!"

Introducing its second fleet of high specification vehicles in December 2018, the team has advanced equipment and technology which allows the paramedics to set up their own communications network in remote locations, provide an ongoing response over days and months if necessary and travel over difficult terrain.

HART is primarily reserved for complex, large scale or major incidents such as serious road traffic collisions or entrapments. The team will respond to incidents were the patient would benefit from additional skills and equipment or if additional assistance is required.

Notable incidents in recent years include:- major flooding in Cumbria and Greater Manchester as well as gas explosions, rescues from cranes, the Manchester Arena attack and the Bosley Mill explosion.

Outside of responding to emergencies, the team members keep busy making sure that their equipment is fully compliant, their clinical skills are refreshed and they are kept up to date on key changes nationally and within the trust. They also undertake regular fitness tests and often attend community events promoting the work of the Ambulance service.

Brave the Lego Brick Road and help beat childhood cancer!

KIDSCAN Children's Cancer Research is looking for brave volunteers to walk barefoot across a pit of Lego to raise money for childhood cancer research. Taking place on the 1 September 2019, at the Intu Trafford Centre, the event marks the 1st day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The Lego walk will be situated in The Orient between the hours of 11:30am to 5pm. As well as the Lego walk there will be Storm Troopers and other attractions. Volunteers and members of the Kidscan team will also be present with Gold Badges; that we encourage people to wear to show their support for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Kirsty Leigh, Head of Operations and Marketing said:- "We are delighted to be able to bring this fantastic fundraising event to the Trafford Centre to mark the 1st day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each year childhood cancer survivors suffer from the lifelong side effects caused by treatments used to save their lives. These can include mobility issues, organ problems and development issues. The childhood cancer survivors who suffer from these effects brave everything life throws at them; so we are asking for volunteers to show just a fraction of their bravery by walking across Lego so we can continue to fund vital research to find safer treatments that don't have lasting side effects"

People looking to take part in the Lego Walk to raise money for Kidscan can purchase tickets at:- KidsCan.Org.UK or by calling:- 0161 295 3864. Adults cost just ₤10 and children ₤5 with a minimum sponsorship target. Walk up's will also be welcomed on the day itself and full training will be provided.

Warning issued as fake WeTransfer emails target local businesses

FAKE email being sent out that claims to be sending you files via WeTransfer, that is sent from a Korea Telecom's IP address. Also the download, button link, if clicked on, will take you to another domain and not https://WeTransfer.com. A few we have spotted try to open up both WeTransfer.com and others sites if you click on the links. We strongly suggest you do not do try to open or follow the links on any unrequested emails. Even if you are expecting a WeTransfer email, check the links are not hosted somewhere else, before you download.

In this case it points to a .fr domain name that was a website for a Plumbing and Heating business, Allaire Technichauf, that is listed to have been located within Rue Marcel Lallouette, 44700 Orvault, France. That complained site is 100% not WeTransfer.com that was founded in Amsterdam. If you do click on the attachments or links sent via "the phishers" you will likely be installing malware on your device. Also if you do enter login details, you will probable find the intention was also to steal your passwords and user names.

We have been told that both WeTransfer and Action Fraud are aware of these emails and also echo our advice to our readers...  Both also said:- "Don't open the email links or attachments! If you have clicked on them and entered your information, go directly to WeTransfer and change your login details."

If you think you have received a phishing / suspicious email like this, please contact Wetransfer.Com via:- Support@WeTransfer.Com. Make sure to include the email in question as an attachment, or forward it.