UK charity British Heart Foundation (BHF) is kicking off the New Year with a vigorous national campaign to actively promote Hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

The campaign is spear-headed by a new TV advert featuring "Hollywood hard man" and former Chelsea footballer Vinnie Jones. In the advert members of the public are encouraged to call 999 and use ‘hard, fast and uninterrupted’ chest compressions if they witness a cardiac arrest. The message, which is backed by Resuscitation Council UK, is even if you are untrained or unconfident about ‘mouth to mouth’ resuscitation give Hands-only CPR a go instead – it could help save someone’s life.

Chief Ambulance Officer Jon Beausire said:

“We fully support this campaign encouraging people to call 999 and start chest compressions immediately if they see someone collapse and stop breathing. While chest compressions with rescue breaths will continue to be part of the ‘gold standard for CPR’; the ‘kiss of life’ can be daunting for untrained bystanders who want to help when someone has collapsed with a cardiac arrest. By carrying out CPR while an ambulance is on the way you can double someone’s chances of survival, even if you don’t perform mouth to mouth."

For more information, visit the British Heart Foundation website

On Tuesday 3 January 2012, Ambulance crews were called to Route du Picquerel at 3.15pm to assist two 12 year old boys experiencing difficulties in a small dinghy, approximately 50 feet from the shoreline.

While it was tied up, and not adrift, the high winds and rough seas meant that the dinghy had filled with water and the boys were unable to return to shore.

Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue activated the Inshore Rescue Boat.  The Rescue Boat crew lifted the boys off their dinghy and took them back to the beach where their mother was waiting.

Despite being wet, cold and a little frightened, neither boy was injured and after being warmed up they were both taken home

Photo courtesy of Sam Field Photography

The Chief Ambulance Officer and staff of the Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue Service would like to thank you for all your support during the past year and wish you a happy New Year.

The Chief Ambulance Officer and staff of the Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue Service would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and thank you for your support during the last year.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal visited the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service to help celebrate our 75th Anniversary. The Chief Ambulance Officer guided HRH Princess Anne on a tour of Ambulance Headquarters where she was able to meet staff members and volunteers as well as gaining an insight into this multi-disciplined organisation.

HRH the Princess Royal then departed for the harbour to inspect our Inshore Rescue Boats and the Marine Ambulance ‘Flying Christine III’ where she was keen to discuss marine rescue response with operational crew members and volunteers.

The Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer and Station Officer Andy Walford were invited to observe Jersey Ambulance Service’s response to the Jersey Airport Major Incident exercise. The late evening exercise tested all three emergency services and involved the use of two coaches to simulate the fuselage of an aircraft splitting into two following the collapse of its undercarriage on landing. With the aircraft carrying over 64 passengers and crew, and a significant number of these designated as P1 and P2 casualties, the ambulance personnel were severely tested.

Senior Officers and members of the Colour Party have attended a number of Remembrance Services to mark the anniversary of the Armistice that brought the Great War to an end in 1918. At 11.00 hrs. on Friday 11th November the Service observed two minutes ‘Silence’ and later that evening the Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer represented the Service at St. Saviours Church for the Remembrance Day Church Service.
On Remembrance Sunday the Chief Ambulance Officer along with Senior Ambulance Officer Steve Domaille laid a Remembrance wreath, on behalf of the Service, at the Bailiwick Memorial. Later that afternoon the Chief Ambulance Officer attended the annual memorial service at L’Eree headland for the sailors who were lost during the sinking of the MV Prosperity in 1974.

Station Officer Dean De La Mare and Paramedic Lorna Harborrow represented the Service, and the Ambulance Service nationally, at the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, London.

On the morning of Tuesday 20th September 2011, the Ambulance and Rescue Service were delighted to welcome the His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Air Marshall Peter Walker and Mrs Walker to Ambulance Headquarters.

His Excellency was given a tour of Ambulance Headquarters and shown the various assets and resources utilised by the Service. This included a new Front-line Emergency Ambulance and Rapid Response vehicles, the Hyperbaric Recompression Centre, a cliff rescue training demonstration, and the Health Care Equipment Centre. In addition to this, there was a static display showing a brief history of the Service over the past 75 years.

His Excellency was then taken aboard the Marine Ambulance ‘Flying Christine III’ for an exercise along the East coast of Guernsey. This involved the Service’s two inshore rescue boats recovering a ‘casualty’ from the sea and performing a transfer onto the waiting Marine Ambulance.

This year’s Emergency Services Raft Race was held on Friday 2nd September at 8.45pm as part of the annual Harbour Carnival celebrations. Having secured a hard fought victory in 2010 this year’s team members were determined not to give up the trophy, in the 75th Anniversary year, without a fight!

After annihilating both the Fire & Rescue Service and the RNLI in the first heat, the team went on to win the final against the Scouts securing the trophy for another year. Well done to all the staff who took part.

Guernsey’s St John Ambulance & Rescue Service celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2011.

To mark the occasion, the service has commissioned a commemorative set of three £2 coins. Each beautifully-designed piece depicts a different facet of the modern service.

The coins come in a smart presentation box.

For further details or to reserve your commemorative coin set, please contact Malcolm Mechem on 725211.

The Health Care Equipment Centre recently attended the Western Horticultural and Agricultural Show, where they had a static display of various items available for sale and hire.

The show also gave the Service opportunity to promote its ambulance subscription scheme.

During the evening of Wednesday 10 August 2011, for the first time in living memory, Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue had call to utilise all of its rescue facilities at once. In separate incidents, the Hyperbaric Recompression Centre, Flying Christine III, Inshore Rescue Boats and the Cliff Rescue Team were all in action.

All of the Service’s rescue facilities are funded by the generosity of the Guernsey public, without whom we would be unable to operate.

On Saturday 25 June 2011, the Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service celebrated its 75th Anniversary with an open day on the Albert Pier at St Peter Port.

The day was well attended in brilliant sunshine, with static displays and rescue demonstrations drawing great attention from members of the public.

People enjoyed the opportunity to go on board the Flying Christine III, have a go at abseiling with the Cliff Team and take a ride around the harbour on an Inshore Rescue Boat

The Marine Ambulance the Flying Christine III is now back in service after both her engines were replaced.  The vessel left Guernsey on its journey to the Isle of Wight on Saturday 5th March and returned to Guernsey on Wednesday 25th May, in keeping with the original time scale of 12 weeks. 

Other maintenance work was also carried out whilst it was at Seaward Marine, new engine room insulation and easy clean panels were fitted to the engine bay, all minor damage to the hull was repaired, antifouled, the top has been re-sprayed and the 2 remaining items from a survey that was carried out on the vessel at the beginning of the year have now been completed.  It is now operating at an increased speed of 26 knots.

Celebrations for the Services 75th Anniversary were held on the 2nd June and included BBC Guernsey broadcasting live between 0700 and 0930 hours, interviewing many members of staff about the occasion and highlighting the current services provided.

A celebration cake was cut and distributed in the afternoon and a church service was held to dedicate the new Service Standard and lay up the old Standard.

The Healthcare Equipment Centre recently organised a local training day for healthcare professionals.  Many Occupational Therapists attended the day along with staff from Residential and Nursing homes.   The subject was on seating, and the importance of having appropriate seating not only for comfort, but also to increase function, to prevent skin breakdown, support, and to promote good postural alignment.  The company “Seating Matters” came to Guernsey to carry out the training. 

The Chief Ambulance Officer, on behalf of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, would like to congratulate ‘Buz’ on his achievement. The award, announced by the Lieutenant Governor as part of Her Majesty The Queens Birthday honours, recognises his voluntary commitment and dedication to both the Marine Ambulance Service and the RNLI.

Buz White has been a Marine Ambulance Voluntary Coxswain for the Ambulance & Rescue Service for over 33 years. He took part in his first mission in 1978 responding to and transferring a patient from Herm. Since then he has completed numerous marine ambulance missions, providing medical aid to the smaller islands of the Bailiwick, ships and other vessels at sea.

In 1980 he joined the Guernsey lifeboat as a crewman and in 2007 he committed to the role as the RNLI St Peter Port Lifeboat Coxswain. His dedication to voluntary duty is commendable and his competence promotes confidence in the various marine ambulance crews that have served with him over the years.