Ian Faulkner

Emergency Transport Attendant Ian Faulkner talks about his experiences of working during the recent snowfall and cold weather.

In my voluntary role as an Emergency Transport Attendant with St John Ambulance in Berkshire I have had a very busy few weeks supporting our local NHS ambulance service, which has become increasingly busy due to the snow and ice which has arrived in our county.

Across the whole country St John Ambulance plays a large part in the emergency plans for the NHS and the difficulties that inevitably come with heavy snow has given us cause to put these plans into action.

I and a number of other St John Ambulance volunteers have been driving 4x4 ambulances which belong to our own fleet to help transport patients to and from the various hospitals in and around Berkshire. We have also been responding to emergency calls in areas where the snow has prevented regular ambulances getting through.

A typical evening shift, if there is such a thing generally involves starting work at 6.00pm. We always go on shift in pairs and wait to be told by the ambulance service what is required of us. Quite often it is a case of responding to calls as and when they come in and incidents we have dealt with include people having panic attacks, a woman in labour, elderly people who are unwell and sick children.

Our shifts are due to finish at midnight but on some occasions we have worked through until the early hours of the morning to help out as much as we can. Some of us have also been helping on day shifts too.

Sometimes the cases we see have not come about because of the bad weather but are just more difficult to get to because of it. Under normal circumstances many of the people we have taken to hospital would get there under their own steam but the snow has made it too dangerous for them. The weather makes life difficult for everyone and we are no exception as we have to brave the snow and ice outside our houses in order to go and pick up the 4x4s before starting a shift.

Supporting the ambulance service in this way is a great opportunity to put the training I have received from St John Ambulance into practice and make a real difference to people’s lives which is why I chose to become a volunteer.

We regularly take part in training sessions such as advanced driving skills and risk assessment in preparation for times such as these. I have already registered our availability with the South Central Ambulance Service for next week as further snow is forecast so we are likely to be called upon a few more times before the winter is out.