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Staff
Three drivers in the accident section of the Service were awarded the Royal
Humane Society's Resuscitation Certificates during the year.
Award of
Resuscitation
Certificates
A 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.
609 drivers gained awards in the Competition for 1957. It is gratifying to record that
four ambulance drivers hold awards for 30 years and over of safe driving and nine for
25 to 29 years.
Safe driving
and First Aid
The interest of the staff in securing further qualifications in first aid to the injured
has been maintained.
Civil Defence
Continued efforts were made in accordance with a Home Office Circular of 1956,
during the course of 1957 to eliminate those members who had definitely lost interest.
Volunteers who had not recently attended training courses were written to and in some
cases visited to see if they wished to resume active membership of the Civil Defence
Corps. As a result 47 names were removed from the roll of volunteers and the present
strength of the Section at the end of 1957 was 1,747.
Elimination
of non-active
members
Recruitment
Recruitment of new volunteers, largely as a result of the autumn recruitment
campaign more than offset the number of withdrawals. Evening searchlight displays,
intended to show the various Civil Defence sections working as an integrated body,
were staged by the Council and the Metropolitan Borough Councils.
Selection
of officers
Six officer selection courses were given throughout 1957 and, as a result, 44 new
officers were appointed from among the fully trained volunteers—16 shift leaders and
28 deputy shift leaders.
Training
courses
The following other courses were held during 1957:
Ambulance Section, Part I
Ambulance Section, Part II
First aid
First aid practical revision
Elementary Driving and Maintenance, Part I
Elementary Driving and Maintenance, Part II
Introductory
10
10
12
9
7
5
3
(One member of the staff attended and received the full certificate
of the Civil Defence School at Falfield.)
Driving instruction was continued throughout the year, except for the period during
which petrol rationing was in force, when it was necessarily curtailed. As a result of
petrol rationing, it was necessary to suspend for a considerable period the arrangements
for volunteers who did not hold driving licences to undergo courses of training with a
recognised school of motoring. In order to retain the interest of these volunteers, a special
series of courses was arranged to give them some instruction in the working of motor
vehicles before they commenced their driving instruction on the road. It was found
that these courses were much appreciated by the volunteers and they have been
continued.
Driving
instruction