GREATER Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) joined forces with staff and volunteers of the National Trust recently to take part in a salvage exercise at Dunham Massey Hall.

GMFRS was invited to get involved so that the two organisations could learn to liaise and work together in the event of a large incident and an exercise was carried out on Wednesday, November 21.

Training exercises take place annually to ensure that all National Trust staff and volunteers who operate at Dunham Hall know exactly which of their many valuable artefacts need to be protected in the event of an emergency situation such as a fire.

Crew manager Andy Graham, from blue watch at Altrincham Fire Station, organised GMFRS’ involvement in this year’s exercise and drafted in support from crews at Sale, Wythenshawe and Salford fire stations.

On the day, Blue Watch crews received a fire call from the manager at Dunham Hall and proceeded to the exercise – which was a simulated fire in the kitchens of the hall – treating it as if it was a real incident.

Crew manager Graham said: “Both our staff and those from Dunham Hall and the National Trust said they’d enjoyed the experience and that they had learned a lot from it.

“As a service, we do have a responsibility to protect property as far as we can during operational incidents and it’s great to have an opportunity to train with the National Trust in this way so that we can get hands on with genuinely valuable property of this nature in a realistic and controlled manner.”