Why are ambulances important?
Ambulances are really important because they provide rapid treatment for people who are ill or seriously injured and transport them safely and quickly to hospital. Often, the ambulance is responsible for providing life-saving treatment. Each year, thousands of lives are saved each year by paramedics. Ambulances are required to provide treatment for people in a variety of different scenarios and situations and paramedics will be confronted with both serious and minor injuries on a daily basis.
When should I call an ambulance?
It is important that people know that they should only call 999 in an emergency situation. Hoax calls and calls that are not related to serious incidents and situations waste valuable time and cost a lot of money.
Examples of scenarios when you should call 999 include:
- If somebody collapses suddenly and has symptoms of a heart attack, including shooting pains in their chest and arms, nausea and difficulty breathing
- If somebody shows signs of a stroke (these include their face dropping, their arms dropping, and their speech becoming slurred)
- If you witness an incident, such as a road traffic accident, for example
- If you come across somebody who has fallen very badly and may have a fracture
- If you suspect that somebody has a head or spinal injury
- If somebody is choking
- If you see somebody drowning
- If somebody has lost consciousness
- If you have a child with very severe symptoms, such as a very high fever and the development of a rash, which may indicate meningitis
What kind of equipment does the ambulance contain?
Emergency ambulances are kitted out with equipment to provide treatment for patients with a variety of different health conditions. Ambulances have basic first aid supplies, as well as sophisticated, life-saving equipment and technology, such as radio controls.
What types of ambulance are there?
There are many different types of ambulance; most people are aware of the brightly coloured, emergency ambulance units but there are also bikes, motorbikes and rapid response cars in use in the UK. The air ambulance is also very important and can be used to treat patients who are in severe danger and those who have become ill in locations which are difficult to reach by road. Many communities also have non-emergency vehicles, which are responsible for taking patients to and from hospital or community clinics or taking them to day centres or out on excursions.
What does it take to be a paramedic?
Aside from the professional training and qualifications, it takes a great deal of determination, strength, resilience and commitment to become a paramedic. Paramedics work long hours, including night shifts and bank holidays and their work is often very emotionally and physically challenging.
