Give us a sign . . . team need help to stand out

9:04am Saturday 21st April 2007

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A NEW emergency response group who provide first aid in Weymouth need help to make their vehicles stand out.

Volunteer responders Andy Salmon and Aaron Eastman use their own cars to support the local ambulance service but they are struggling to get through the town's traffic.

Mr Salmon said: "We don't go for blue lights because it would cost a bomb with private insurance and using our own vehicles makes it hard to get through because people don't realise what we're trying to do."

He added: "The ambulance service supplies most of our equipment but we need signage for our vehicles and we're hoping local businesses will sponsor us.

"Medisave in Lynch Lane is supporting us and getting us equipment through 3M - and its stethoscopes are the best there are, to be honest."

The pair have been carrying out their crucial role for six weeks now in addition to their other jobs in the emergency services.

Mr Salmon is a medical training officer for the fire service and Mr Eastman is an ambulance technician.

Mr Salmon said: "It seems to be going well.

"We get an ambulance pager message sent to our mobile phones when we're on duty with information about the job and how long to expect the ambulance, and then we decide if it's appropriate for us to attend."

The volunteers are alerted to every 999 call in a three-mile radius of their houses in Grove Avenue and Monmouth Avenue, and they take it in turns to respond to the emergencies.

Mr Salmon said: "We both feel it's important, it's what we do as our job.

"We can't see the point, knowing how pushed the ambulance service is, sitting at home when we have got these skills and could be benefiting other people."

He added: "Our partners are very supportive, my wife works in Dorset County Hospital so she realises the importance of it."

So far the responders have mostly been called to deal with people who have been out partying in Weymouth and to help the elderly population with breathing problems, chest pain and diabetic emergency.

They generally get six to eight calls a week each.

Mr Salmon said: "The ambulance service makes 90-95 per cent of its responses but in the summer when the population increases it will become harder, so because we're available it's an important thing to do.

"It's very much about working in partnership with the ambulance and fire service to benefit the local community."