RAF Boulmer volunteers thanked after 20 year support for North East Ambulance Service comes to an end

Since 2004, RAF Boulmer volunteers have worked closely with NEAS to respond to emergency 999 calls when an ambulance is on route.

In total, they have gifted over 11,500 hours of volunteering in their community and attended over 2,800 patients when their resources are the closest.

Some 15 RAF volunteers have subsequently gone on to careers at NEAS from ambulance care assistants to paramedics and instructors.

The scheme allowed NEAS to free up resources to be able to respond to more calls but it came to an end in May due to RAF operational changes on site.

NEAS has now taken the opportunity to thank RAF Boulmer responders for their support and dedication over the last two decades.

Chief operating officer, Stephen Segasby said: “We are sad to see the RAF Boulmer scheme come to an end, but we are extremely grateful for the support they have provided to NEAS for the last 20 years.

“I would like to thank all the responders for volunteering their time and provided incredible support for the service.

"We were honoured to have Aerospace Manager and Warrant Officer, Philip Billington and Charlotte M Best, Station Commander and Wing Commander, attend our annual volunteer ceremony in June and were able to present them with an award for their long service

“They have had a really strong presence over the 20 years and being able to gift their time to give back to their local community has had a significant impact but also is an outstanding commitment and we’re all extremely grateful.”

NEAS has 112 community first responders who are based across the region and are trained to deal with emergencies prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

Over the last year they have attended over 1,850 incidents and have collectively volunteered over 41,000 hours for the service in 2023/24 equates to 1,715 days and respond to serious emergencies such as cardiac arrests.

Among those involved in the scheme is community development officer, Paul Brolly, who said: “It has been a pleasure to be a founder member of the RAF Boulmer scheme. To volunteer and help the community is a privilege that all the RAF members and our Community First Responders do daily on behalf of NEAS.

“Early intervention can more than double a person’s chances of survival and can be the difference between life and death.

“Volunteers are deployed to incidents at the same time as an ambulance is dispatched, to provide vital life-saving care and support, or simply a reassuring face, in the crucial minutes between a 999 call being made and the arrival of the crew.

Aerospace Manager and Warrant Officer Billington added: “It’s been a great pleasure to meet some interesting people in sometimes very difficult circumstances. It has been a great honour to work with NEAS, a privilege to receive the training and support to enable us to serve the community.”

Find out how you can volunteer with NEAS at https://www.neas.nhs.uk/first-aid-community/volunteers