Scottish Ambulance Service

“It is a career and not a job - every day is different.”
Jerome Smith, a paramedic at Annan station, and Colin Davie, a technician at Dunoon, have urged those thinking of joining the service to sign up for a "rewarding" career.
Jerome has been in the service for 17 years and is following in the footsteps of his dad, who was in the ambulance service in Lancashire for many years.
... Colin, meanwhile, is in his ninth year at the service.
Jerome started out as his wife’s apprentice as part of SAS’s Patient Transport Service.
He said: “I enjoy the variation of the role never knowing what to expect from day to day. We work with a great set of people.
“I have enjoyed all my service working with all branches of the service. I have enjoyed learning new things.”
“I started on the PTS as my wife's apprentice, which was interesting but we never fell out. I would encourage people to join the service as it is a career not a job and every day is different."
Jerome, who recently volunteered at Glasgow2018, said a highlight of his career was the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
He said: “It was very well organised and a joy to see everyone have a great time.”
Colin said: “What I enjoy most, apart from the laughs I have with my colleagues in mess room, is helping the older population. They are so thankful and sometimes a wee hug makes their day.”
Colin said his highlights have been working at large events, like T in the Park and the European Championships, adding: "You get the opportunity to work with and meet new people."
Colin said: “It can be a very rewarding job at times but you have to be prepared for the bad days too.”
Colin, left, and Jerome are pictured at the European Championships, held recently in Glasgow.
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If you are free on September 16, please feel free to come along to Thurso Lifeboat Station in Scrabster.
SAS will be in attendance at an Emergency Services Open Day, being held from midday to 4pm. Other services will also be on hand.
The ambulance service will be running simulated scenarios (similar to the demostration pictured), first aid lessons and basic life support workshops. Some of our emergency vehicles will also be on display.
... Up to 1,000 people are expected to attend on the day.
We would love to see you at the lifeboat station later this month.
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"It's more than a job, it's a vocation" - Well done to paramedic Araf Saddiq on his Great Scot Community Champion award nomination. Read more about his great work engaging with ethnic minorities here: https://bit.ly/2NQH9W4 #DiversityIsStrength #Team999

Good luck to our own Sarah Howard-Stone who will be taking part in Pedal for Scotland’s Big Belter charity event this weekend!
The event is a 100-mile cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh and Sarah, PA to SAS medical director Jim Ward, is raising money for a defibrillator in her local area of East Wemyss, and also Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK.
Sarah, a cardiac arrest survivor herself, said: “I was able to survive the cardiac arrest as I was given CPR immediately and also received a sh...ock from a defib, so giving others a chance to survive by having access to a defib is extremely important to me.
“At the moment, we don't have a defib within my village and I would like to contribute towards once being bought.”
To donate for Sarah’s cycle visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/s arah-howard-stone
The event will be held on Sunday, starting at 6.45am.
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A community fun day inspired by a paramedic’s brain tumour diagnosis raised £1,805 for charity.
The event was held at Kilwinning Ambulance Station recently and was organised after Dougie Henderson, a paramedic at the station, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme stage 4 last year.
The day was organised by his sister Lynne Henderson, along with staff at the station and also colleagues at Crosshouse Hospital Accident and Emergency department.
... Lynne said the money raised was for the Brain Tumour Charity.
She said: “It was an amazing day and a success.”
Thanks to everyone who attended on the day and contributed!
People can contribute here: https://bit.ly/2ozJERm
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The wife of a woman who collapsed after accidentally overdosing on medication has praised the Scottish Ambulance Service emergency responders who rushed to the couple’s home.
Fiona Fraser, 53, was at home in Dunoon with her partner of 25 years Joanne Singleton, aged 51, who has several complex health problems, including diabetes, kidney disease and systemic lupus.
Fiona, originally from Glasgow, said Joanne had been in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital the day previously for a ren...
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Last chance to nominate for our 2018 Staff and Volunteer awards - the nominations close at midnight tonight! Click now to nominate and make sure your #everydayhero gets the recognition they deserve! https://bit.ly/2MeUrPh #team999

Last chance to nominate for our 2018 Staff and Volunteer awards - the nominations close at midnight tomorrow! There are a number of awards to celebrate staff & volunteers who have shown themselves to be true heroes of the Service. More info here: https://bit.ly/2MeUrPh

A mum has praised the Scottish Ambulance Service emergency responders who helped her deliver her child in the car park of a hospital.
Laura Burnett, 37, of Rutherglen, was at home and woke up in the morning of July 22. She started having contractions and alerted her husband, Chris.
Chris phoned the hospital, with staff advising the couple to phone an ambulance immediately.
... Laura said: “The call handler told us to stay on the line and said ‘you are going to deliver this baby’.”
Two ambulance crews were quickly dispatched, with Lisa Curatolo, manning a PRU, arriving first on scene.
Laura, a marketing executive, added: “The first responder seemed to arrive in no time at all. The first responder gave me gas and air. Then within a couple of minutes, the two paramedics arrived.”
With Laura’s contractions getting quicker, she was taken into an ambulance to be transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Laura added: “They put the sirens on, and as we pulled into the car park of the hospital, his head appeared. One of the ambulance crew ran in and fetched a midwife.
“She was in the ambulance in time to manage the rest of his birth. It was very surreal. The maternity staff took me through. We said our goodbyes.”
Luke was born at 10.44am.
Laura continued: “Chris and I are very grateful for the prompt arrival of the crews, their reassurance and haste to get us all to the hospital safely. They were absolutely amazing. Without them, things could have been completely different.”
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This is the last week to nominate for our 2018 Staff and Volunteer awards so make sure to get your nomination in today! There are a number of awards categories to celebrate the individuals, teams and volunteers who have shown themselves to be true heroes of the Service. More info here: https://bit.ly/2MeUrPh

The Scottish Ambulance Service is at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall, Orkney, today and we would like to see you!
Please feel to come along and chat with our crews if you are interested in a career in the service or even if you just want to say hello, the team will be more to happy to meet you.
The free event will run until 6pm this evening.

Well done to Mike Roberts, of Stranraer station, for winning an award at the National Ambulance LGBT conference in Manchester.
Mike attended the annual event, along with six SAS staff members, including Ann Tobin, Jack McIntyre, Michael Harmjanz, Peter Keeney, Sarah Howard-Stone and Vince McCluskey.
Mike won the award for the help he had provided as a member of the committee for the National Ambulance LGBT Network.
... A number of ambulance service staff also attended Manchester Pride, including Mike and Jack (pictured).
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The #ScotHealthawards want to hear about the Unsung Heroes of the NHS. The individuals/teams who are making a real difference for people in Scotland. Nominate your healing hero today at http://www.scottishhealthawards.com

Nominations for our 2018 Staff and Volunteer awards are now open! There are a number of awards categories to celebrate the individuals, teams and volunteers who have shown themselves to be true heroes of the Service. Nominate here today: https://bit.ly/2MeUrPh 🚑👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

A man has been reunited with the Scottish Ambulance Service crew who saved his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest at a primary school nativity play.
Stephen Nardone, 71, of Crosshill, was attending the festive event at St. Kenneth's Primary School in Ballingry, receiving an invite as he had worked previously with the school as a member of the area’s community council.
He entered the hall, spoke to a few people and bought a few raffle tickets. He then went to sit down in... his chair before collapsing at around 9.45am.
Stephen said: “I vaguely remember speaking to people and just before it was about to start, I had a cardiac arrest.
“I collapsed on the floor. There were four off-duty nurses in the audience – their daughters or sons were in the play.”
Mr Nardone said he doesn’t recall much and has relied on others to fill in the blanks.
After an emergency call was made, instructions were passed by the call taker, Claire Stewart, to bystanders who performed emergency CPR on Mr Nardone until the Scottish Ambulance Service arrived. The supervisor on shift at ACC was Morag Campbell.
Two crews were dispatched to the scene by Andy Cocozza; the first was from Cowdenbeath, manned by Kevin Fitzgerald and Jim Hutchison. Another crew from Perth, manned by Derek Mitchell and Nathan Thomson, soon arrived.
After Mr Nardone’s cardiac arrest, the play was stopped and people were asked to leave.
Mr Nardone added: “People knew it was something serious, and they knew who I was. The kids were not in the hall at the time, they had not arrived yet.
He added: “It took 27 minutes until my heart started again. The next thing I remember is waking up in an induced coma.”
Stephen woke up on the 19th of December (2017) after collapsing on December 15. He was taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
He added: “My wife told me what happened when I woke up.
“It took a wee while to sink. I was a wee bit groggy. I knew something had happened. I was confused more than anything else. I had never had one before.
“I was scary, but I imagine it would have been a 100 times worse for my wife. The treatment by everyone has been first class.”
Mr Nardone said he has just finished a 10-week rehab course and is set to begin another one at the end of August.
Since the incident, Mr Nardone has been on a fundraising drive to raise money for a defibrillator at the school, as it does not currently have one.
Some of the money was raised from a race night while the school also assisted in donating around £1,000. He said he was hoping to speak to the school to arrange having the devices installed.
On being reunited with some of the SAS staff who assisted on the day, Mr Nardone said it was great to say thanks in person, adding: “What can you say to someone who has saved your life.”
Pictured from left are Claire Stewart, Kevin Fitzgerald, Stephen Nardone, Jim Hutchison and Morag Campbell.
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Are you a fully registered HCPC Paramedic looking for a new opportunity working in Scotland with one of our Specialist SORT (HART) teams?
We are holding an open day on Sat 25th August in the North of Scotland. Email scotamb.NRRDtraining@nhs.net for more info

When Ken collapsed in a remote location on the Balmoral Estate, the quick thinking of the @CairngormMtn volunteers and @S_piperWildcat AED rural location certainly helped save his life.
Find out more about the importance of registering defibs in remote areas and all over Scotland with us here: https://bit.ly/2w37klb

A mum says she has been inspired to carry out her dream of becoming a paramedic after having her first child delivered at home by Scottish Ambulance Service emergency responders.
Ashleigh Carpenter, 19, was at her mum’s house in Bo’ness when Lily Scott was delivered.
The retail worker said she woke up at around 2am on the day of the birth.
... She added: “I then went back to sleep at 5am - then it all happened. I begged my mum to phone an ambulance at around 6.20am. They did not believe me the baby was coming.”
A 999 call was made and Ashleigh’s mum advised the call taker – Joan Maciver – that the baby’s head was crowning. Two ambulance crews were quickly dispatched by Craig Moore.
The first crew, manned by Scott McKinnon and Andrew Lambe, arrived within minutes. A second crew, manned by Ewan Hoggan and Thomas Gentles, then arrived a few minutes after.
She added: “Five minutes after the call was made, the ambulance crew arrived and my baby was born. I was terrified, and so scared, but the ambulance crew were amazing.
“My boyfriend was in quite a state. One of the ambulance service staff was holding my hand while the other delivered it.”
The birth of Lily on February 19 last year was a “blur” for Ashleigh. After the baby’s umbilical cord had been cut, she was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
Ashleigh added: “I am just so thankful. As the baby was coming, my mum was pale white. My boyfriend was in quite a state himself, but the crew kept my boyfriend calm and my mum calm.”
After watching their professionalism in action, the first-time mum said her aim is to now become a paramedic.
She continued: “I have always wanted to be a paramedic. It’s always been in the back of my mind. Seeing them deliver my baby, they all did such an amazing job, which has made me want to be paramedic even more.”
Well done to all the crews involved and great to see Ashleigh and Lily are doing well.
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