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more readily available to deal with emergencies occurring in the area to the west of
this station.
Upper Richmond Road Accident Ambulance Station—Work upon the new accident
ambulance station in Wandsworth was proceeding at the end of the year and was
expected to be completed by April, 1956.
Administrative and Operational Headquarters—The outstanding event of the year under
review was, undoubtedly, the merging of the administrative and operational headquarters
under one roof at 150, Waterloo Road, London, S.E.I. The transfer of those
hitherto separate branches from County Hall and from premises in Southwark,
respectively, to premises adapted for the purpose was carried out on 10th October,
without a break in the continuity of the service, an achievement for which a special
tribute is due to the G.P.O. whose problem it was to maintain telephonic communication
between the headquarters control room and the 25 outlying ambulance stations during
the change-over. The new headquarters is equipped with up-to-date garage facilities
and a control room which embodies many improvements.
Vehicles

Staff
numbers
Staff
The establishment was increased during the year by one station officer and 16 men
in order to man the new accident ambulance station at Mottingham, bringing the total
of uniformed supervisory staff and ambulance station officers to 40 and the permanent
authorised establishment of ambulance drivers to 700, with 70 authorised relief positions.
During the greater part of the year great difficulty was experienced in recruiting an
adequate number of staff" to maintain the efficiency of the service, and in August, 1955,
women drivers were once again recruited on a temporary basis. At the end of the year
the number of ambulance drivers employed had increased to 743, including 53 women,
of whom 15 were recruited during the latter part of the year.
Following a comprehensive review of the work of the Ambulance Service which
was undertaken by the Organisation and Methods Section of the Department of the
Clerk of the Council, the authorised establishment of the control room at Headquarters
was increased by one position (temporary) of ambulance control clerk in order to
provide a relief for duty at any of the stations or at Headquarters in the event of sickness,
holidav. etc.
Safe driving
and first-aid
A very large percentage of the drivers continue to qualify for awards in the National
'Safe Driving' Competition held by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,
which, in view of the increasing pressure of traffic, is a matter for some congratulation.
The interest of the staff in securing further qualifications in first-aid to the injured has
been maintained.
General
Civil Defence
The advent of thermo-nuclear weapons has necessitated a complete review of the
operational training of the Civil Defence Corps. Meanwhile the training of the volunteers
has necessarily continued on the old basis. The interest and enthusiasm of volunteers
has, however, been maintained in somewhat difficult circumstances.
Publicity
Efforts to recruit volunteers into the Ambulance and Casualty Collecting Section
have continued throughout the year and a special effort was made in October to interest
the voluntary aid societies in the formation of the Casualty Collecting Section.
Representatives of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and of the British Red Cross Society
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