Emergency Medical Technician, Anderson Nurse, testing out one of the new stretchers. Included in those looking on are Health Minister, John Boyce, Head of the Department of Emergency Ambulance Services, Dr. David Byer (third from left) and NASSCO Sales Director, Roger Moore (second from left).
Health Minster, John Boyce taking a close look at one of the stretchers which will be inside the two new ambulances.
Canon Noel Burke blessing the two new ambulances presented to the Department of Emergency Ambulance Services on yesterday, as John Boyce looks on.
Driving programme
PERSONNEL from the Emergency Ambulance Services are set to participate in a comprehensive defensive driver programme in coming months.
Head of the Department of Emergency Ambulance Services, Dr. David Byer, disclosed this at yesterday’s Official Ambulance Handover Ceremony at the Services’ headquarters in Jemmott’s Lane, St. Michael. During this event, that Department received two new Toyota ambulances.
“With respect to caring the vehicles, we are actually in active discussion to have a comprehensive defensive driver programme for all the individuals who will touch these and every vehicle of the Emergency Ambulance Service. It is something we are hoping to start to push in the next two to three months, where we will put our drivers through a comprehensive defensive driving programme, which will allow for them to be safer on our roads etc.”
Dr. Byer also told all present that this is second time within the last three years that new ambulances have been added to the Department’s present fleet. On the last occasion, the Service received “four ambulances through Nassco Limited”.
“We are happy to [add] these two ambulances to the fleet, which brings the functional fleet up to seven, the total fleet up to 11… This is a shot in the arm as we approach what is expected to be a busy summer and Crop Over season, where we will be all hands on deck as far as the numerous Crop Over [events], whether they are [National Cultural Foundation] NCF or other activities around.”
He further stated that the new ambulances are equipped with stronger stretchers to better assist Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with carrying out their job.
“We have learnt from our experiences with the first four, we have actually fortified these ambulances with stronger stretchers, and one or two other changes. We realised that we needed a more durable stretcher, which would allow for our heavier patients... along with some of the terrain and so that we would have had to traverse, we had to bring a more durable stretcher.” (MG)