Emergency help in Havant!

A team of six volunteers from St John Ambulance Hampshire leapt to the aid of local people in Havant at 4am on Monday 18 January 2010.

Reassurance and support

The members were called out just after 3.30am and within 15 minutes arrived at Havant Leisure Centre with two ambulances, blankets and activities for children.

Around 60 local residents were evacuated from their flats by police in the early hours of the morning after a gas leak.

Volunteer Rob Ferre, 30, is the duty officer at the Emergency Rest Centre:  ‘We have been providing support, reassurance, teas and coffees and blankets.

‘We also had to find some emergency nappies for a baby and arrange for police to escort some residents back to their flats for essential medication.’

The St John team will be on duty at the Rest Centre for the entire day.  It opened at 4am and is due to close early afternoon.  The team was joined over breakfast by volunteers from the WRVS, who helped make bacon sandwiches for the evacuees.

Pat Morris, Commander of St John Ambulance Hampshire, said:  ‘Our response to the call was fast, efficient and well-co-ordinated.

‘Our volunteers are much appreciated by the people they are helping and the agencies who called on us.  I am so proud of them and their excellent work proves once again that St John Ambulance is a vital lifeline in these emergencies.’