14yrs ago today at around this time, two colleagues left the parade room having been briefed on the days priorities.
One collected her taser whilst the other collected the van keys. They finished their morning tea/coffee shared some last laughs with team mates and headed off for what should have been just another day.
In around three hours time they would respond to routine call. What happened next is painfully etched in my memories, and the memories of many colleagues across greater Manchester and beyond.
Today, at 10:53 I’ll gather again with friends and colleagues to remember Nicola and Fiona. Today’s event is even more poignant given it takes place just a week after we laid Matt and Tom to rest.
If you can, at 10:53, take a minute to pause and reflect on just how unpredictable and fragile life can be and how fortunate we are that we still have people like Nicola, Fiona, Matt and Tom willing to put on a uniform, set aside their anxieties and fears and step into the unknown on our behalf.