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Award of
resuscitation
certificate
Staff
for the second successive year a driver in the London Ambulance Service was
awarded the Royal Humane Society's Resuscitation Certificate. By a ladder which
reached only to within 4 ft. of the window he entered a room some 30 ft. above the
ground where a man had committed suicide by inhalation of coal gas. A police constable
had collapsed whilst trying to rescue the man and the driver commenced artificial
respiration and administration of oxygen to the constable in the gas-filled room. The
driver continued artificial respiration while the constable was conveyed to hospital
where he subsequently recovered.
Staff numbers
During the year the number of ambulance station officers was increased by two,
one to take charge of the newly-opened Hampstead ambulance station and one for
Civil Defence duties, bringing the total of uniformed supervisory staff and ambulance
station officers to 39. The number of operative staff employed on 31st December, 1954,
was 701.
Safe driving
and first aid
It is gratifying to record that a very large percentage of the drivers continue to qualify
for awards in the National Safe Driving Competition and that numbers attend classes
and examinations to gain further knowledge and certificates in rendering first aid to
the injured.
New duties
Civil Defence
during the year the Ambulance Section of the Civil Defence Corps assumed new
duties and a new name. The section was reconstituted as the ' Ambulance and Casualty
Collecting Scction ' and it took on new duties of stretcher bearing, loading and unloading
of ambulances at ambulance loading points and hospitals and ambulance trains at railheads.
These duties, which might involve the carriage of stretcher cases over rubble,
are not considered suitable for women and will be carried out by fit men.
Publicity
Efforts to recruit volunteers into the Civil Defence Corps were intensified. A column
comprising vehicles from all sections of the Civil Defence Corps and ancillary services
drove through the Metropolitan Boroughs in four ceremonial ' drivesIn all of these
drives Superintendent R. E. Ridgwell of the London Ambulance Service was the
Column Commander.
The Ambulance Section was well represented in these drives by volunteers and
civil defence ambulances. In addition, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Borough
Councils, the Ambulance Section took part in exhibitions, demonstrations and houseto-house
canvasses, all of which helped in the recruitment of volunteers.
Armistice Day
ceremony
An Ambulance Section volunteer, Mr. L. A. Lyall, represented the County of London
Division of the Civil Defence Corps at the Armistice Day Ceremony at the Cenotaph
on 7th November.
Training
The strength of the Ambulance Section increased by nearly 400 volunteers from
1,662 on 1st January to 2,060 on 31st December. To keep pace with this progress the
training programme was considerably expanded. The instructional staff under the
Superintendent seconded for these duties was increased to three station officers by the
employment of an additional station officer on civil defence duties.
Fourteen introductory, fourteen first aid, fifteen ambulance section and seventeen
other types of courses, making a total of sixty, have been held since training began in
1951 ; 569 volunteers have taken the full first aid course and passed the examination.
Volunteers who reached an advanced stage of training took part in exercises, including
a number at the Council's Rescue Training Ground, Hackney Marshes, in which up
to fifty volunteers and five vehicles were involved.
Operative staff of the London Ambulance Service received training in the duties of
the Civil Defence Ambulance Section in wartime. New staff, in addition, attended for
basic general training already completed by other members of the staff.
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