Reblogging a 2012 post that nobody (except A) has seen. It is about my early days as an EMT in London. It is all very different now of course.
For those who read my posts on a regular basis, you may see a pattern appearing in my ‘Ambulance Stories’ category. That pattern is that many of the calls we were sent to, differ greatly from the description given to us by Ambulance Control. This may seem fanciful and affected to the outsider, though I can assure you that all these stories are 100% accurate. Perhaps some explanation of general life as an Ambulanceman in London (at least when I was still in it ) will put some of this into better context.
At the time I joined, the London Ambulance Service was a very different organisation to the one it is today. It was short-staffed, under-funded, and the staff were poorly paid, and did the job with very little equipment. Many of the operational managers were ex-military types, and the uniform reflected this, in being totally unsuitable for the…
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beetleypete 
Those who chose to be an EMT were certainly doing it for the right reasons and not money.
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There was never any money in it. Even now it is better paid, it is still less than £30,000 a year for new entrants.
Best wishes, Pete.
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What a shame. I don’t know what the pay is over here, but it’s not much.
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Ah the good ol’ days!!! 🥴
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It was so basic, that looking back now it is a wonder we managed to save anyone.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Things have moved on a very long way since we were newbies!
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I remember this post….
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Thanks for remembering, Sue.
Best wishes, Pete.
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😊
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What horrible working conditions for such essential workers!
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We had to wash the blankets and clean the vehicles and the ambulance station too.
It was called ‘Station Duties/General Duties’, and had to be finished before we handed over to the next shift.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I read this post with a sense of urgency.
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As an EMT, there isn’t too much you haven’t seen!
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That’s very true, GP. But the training was about as basic as it gets back then.
Best wishes, Pete.
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