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Award of resuscitation certificates— Resuscitation certificates were awarded by the Royal
Humane Society to four drivers:
Drivers W. J. Bower and D. W. Davies (Victoria Ambulance Station) attended an
unconscious woman whose breathing appeared to have ceased. Artificial respiration was
administered in the ambulance and after arrival at hospital. The hospital authorities said
that but for the drivers' efforts the patient would certainly have died.
Drivers H. Chambers and T. J. Vickers (Fulham Ambulance Station) attended a woman
with cardiac arrest. They performed external cardiac massage and administered oxygen
during and after the journey to hospital.
First aid and diagnosis competition—In the annual competition held by the Casualties
Union the London Ambulance Service team failed to retain the Buxton International
Trophy which it had won in 1961 and 1962 but was successful in winning a new form of
competition designed to test the skill of an ambulance crew in removing a patient from a
first floor room down a very narrow and steep cottage-type staircase.
Safe driving—Seventy per cent. of the drivers who entered the National Safe Driving
Competition held by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 1962 gained
awards; 17 per cent. were disqualified as a result of the very strict application of the rules
governing the competition and the remainder were accounted for by resignations and by
exemption owing to prolonged sickness.
Civil defence
The work of the Ambulance and First Aid Section during the year has reflected the aim
of the re-organisation of the Civil Defence Corps, commenced in 1962, which was to create
a highly trained nucleus capable of rapid expansion in an emergency. The tempo of training
increased considerably, particularly that aimed at preparing volunteers for the Home
Office Standard Test, in which the Section has had some success. Of the 260 volunteers
entered for this test 224 (86 per cent.) were successful, including 15 at the second attempt.
The concentration on higher standards resulted, however, in a further drop in the strength
of the Section from 1,310 to 1,129, in spite of 289 new recruits being enrolled. Of the total
membership at the end of the year, 981 were active members and only 148 were in the
Reserve.
The following training courses were held during the year:
First aid 12 Elementary driving and
Ambulance section—part I 12 maintenance 7
part II 12 Officer selection 2
Standard test 22 Competition training 8
In addition to this theoretical training, members of the Section participated in 22 exercises,
including five promoted by the London Ambulance Service primarily for Ambulance
and First Aid Section personnel. The largest of these, Leader 10, designed to test the working
of an ambulance column and a Forward Medical Aid Unit under the pressure of a large
number of casualties, involved nearly 1,000 personnel and over 100 vehicles. Once again
an internal competition was held to test the skills of various teams from the Section and
proved very successful.
Twenty-two volunteers passed the Ministry of Transport driving test after receiving
instruction from a motoring school. Volunteers were given driving practice on various
types of Civil Defence and regular service ambulances and some visited the Council's
accident ambulance stations to see casualty work at first-hand.
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