Regards,
Nick
http://nickhough.blogspot.com

And I know what you mean by being so valued!

Seriously though, I have been in many, many potentially dodgy situations, as we all have in the service, and without doubt our best friends are our spider senses (which for the uninitiated, is the sense you develop which warns you nice and early that its going to get nasty), and our ability to talk our way out of most things.

I did however have one job where I was unable to implement either of these. I was at a job at 3am in a cul-de-sac. I was driving and had parked the vehicle obstructing the drive of 3 properties. In the property was a very sick wee lassie and my crew mate.

As I was walking up the narrow path to the house from the vehicle, carry chair in my hand, I was challenged by an idiot who wanted me to move my vehicle NOW.

To cut a very long story short, all my best chat (and I did my very best chat) did nothing, and the man came for me. As it became clear the situation was deteriorating I went for my man down button but reliably my radio did not work. (yes, they’re looking at replacing them, they know there’s a problem, its being resolved blah blah blah)

Now I am a wee girlie and quite small and this was my best asset. As he came at me I shouted: “Get Back” (as I had been taught) in my loudest, loudest voice, and when he ignored this I dropped the carry chair (Stupid or what?) and did the double handed palm chest strike thingy we had been taught in conflict resolution training.

Well. As luck would have it, the last thing he expected was for me to retaliate, and he fell back just like they said he would when they taught us.

Now, at this point we’re meant to run like hell, but what they hadn’t told us was that if I did that, not only was I abandoning my crew mate and terribly sick wee lassie, but also the front door was still open and the assailant was between me and said front door.

I backed off, ready to run, watching him very closely, when he looked at me, considered his options, then to my deep and resounding joy, took a step to one side and said: “Oh ya go love”.

Not taking my eyes off him I gingerly picked up my carry chair, and mustering my best confidence, picked up my carry chair (which I should have bloody thrown at him in the first place……bloody conflict resolution training didn’t suggest THAT), edged past him on the path, entered the property and shut the door.

Once in there I briefed my crew mate who used his MOBILE PHONE to dial 999 because the radios were still not working.

Now I know out there will be advocates of conflict resolution training who will say: “Well, it worked, didn’t it, and if you’d thrown the carry chair at him then he might have been hurt”. My heart bloody bleeds.

Curiously, without exception, every member of every service I have told this story to have all raised their eyes to heaven at the point I dropped the carry chair.

I couldn’t agree more!!

Oh, and the radios? We’re mobilised by our radios which are continually failing. It is being sorted now. Why? Because the government are bringing in something called Call Connect, which reduces our response time by about 90 seconds per red call. Why are the radios being sorted? To ensure we respond on time, every time.

I feel so valued.

Do you have conflict resolution training in your service?

The worrying thing about our job is that if we were to be assaulted and we fought back in fear of our lives it is us that would be done.

Sounds like a post is the offing ref assaults at work…

That aside, here’s what I carry:

Left trouser pocket: scope.

Right trouser pocket: JRCALC pocket book together with our services “What to do if you are assaulted or threatened” which is a natty little laminated sheet reminding me that if I am assaulted or threatened I should run like **** and dial 999. I carry it so if I am threatened I can stick it to the forehead of my assailant and read of the 13 step plan I am advised to follow……..oh yeah……and if I don’t, and I am assaulted, and an officer comes to the scene and asks me if I have it I can be disciplined if I don’t and any claim for compensation may be affected!!

Top right hand shirt pocket: Mobile phone.

Top left hand shirt pocket: ID and loose change for desperation bag of chips or food.

Left hand sleeve: 2 pens and a pen torch – which I do use a lot but which does often run out of battery at a key moment.

Utility belt:

AK47 – ok. I made that up.
Natty radio – never works but very chic. Makes us all look terribly important.
(day time) small torch
(night time) bloody great torch which I carry on my shoulder so I can adequately illuminate the area when we are hunting for casualties who are usually not there in the middle of the bloody night but its a hoax call so we have to be sure. Naturally it is carried that way only because it best illuminates the area!!

Oh, and of course my “If I get nuked kit” including dosimeter and a handy laminated card which I will naturally read as I walk backwards out of the area screaming: “Sh**************t” into my radio which probably isn’t working!!

Comments welcomed!!

- On my left arm, two black pens and a penlight
- Spare pieces of paper in my shirt pocket
- Right leg pocket: Swabs and a Triangular as an inpromptu FA kit and a green OP
- Left leg pocket: Lightweight steth
- Utility belt with PPE pouch (gloves and a vent aid) – and I get told off if I don’t wear it, space for a radio, and a scissor pouch containing tuffcuts, pen, and mini maglite

That’s it. Sounds a lot, but you should look as some of the new members in St John. They honestly do look like Tackleberry. And then they put on a rucksack! Even when I’m “carrying” a kit, it’s a waist pouch containing the major emergency aid bits and pieces. If I need more, I’m going to need to get help in anyway! So why kill your back carrying things like O2 tanks, etc?!

In fact, I might end up talking about this on my own blog, if that’s alright kingmagic?

Cheers,
Nick
http://nickhough.blogspot.com