As most first aiders know, you should never use the ‘Q’ word when on duty as it just tempts fate. On Friday night I think every St John Ambulance member at Bridgwater Carnival must have been screaming “quiet” from the roof tops considering the chaos that ensued.
The omens were ominous from the outset with the entrance to our county HQ being blocked by an HGV that managed to get itself bogged down in the flower bed outside. This was followed soon after by the news of a river bank in Bridgwater collapsing and causing extensive flooding and road closures. The treatment unit was sitting in several inches of water and the carnival had not even begun.
So, it couldn’t possibly get any worse. Or could it? Shortly after the carnival procession started, news began to filter though of a crash on the M5 just south of the Bridgwater junction and my Twitter time line soon became flooded with information.
Has time progressed, it became apparent that it wasn’t going to be an early night. The scale of the incident on the M5 meant that the local NHS ambulance service had nearly all their resources committed so we had to provide back up to cover the routine 999 calls in the area.
What made me exceptionally proud was when the control room supervisor asked if anyone would mind staying on, no one had to think twice. Despite an already long shift, many of the volunteers having already spent the day at work prior to going on duty, almost everyone was willing to stay on and help out.
The circumstances were terrible, but it is occasions such as this that make it an honour to part of an organisation such as St John Ambulance. It is an honour to work alongside so many people that are willing to give up their own time in support of others and be prepared to make a difference to other people’s lives.
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