How to be... an Air Ambulance paramedic

Flying around in a helicopter all day saving lives sounds pretty cool right?

But just how do you go about reaching the heady heights of an Air Ambulance paramedic?

We talk to the newest addition to our Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team, Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance paramedic Adam Nash, who started working with us just over two weeks ago.

Here Adam tells us about why he wanted to be an Air Ambulance paramedic and what he had to do to become one.

First things first Adam, how did you get involved with Emergency Service work?

Well I actually started my career as a life guard and it was this that first piqued my interest in Emergency Services work.  After guarding lives in Newquay for a while, I decided I wanted to take things further and set about training to be a paramedic.

I qualified as a paramedic about five years ago and began working for London Ambulance Service, before transferring for East Midlands Ambulance Service.

What was it about Air Ambulance work that interested you?

As soon as I joined the ambulance service I knew that eventually I wanted to be an Air Ambulance paramedic. I was fascinated by the advanced clinical skills that they can bring to the patient at the scene of an accident, and I was keen to progress my own learning by working with people such as the on board doctors.

So what did you have to do to make the step from land ambulances to helicopters?

It was quite a lengthily and thorough application process. I initially sent off a letter and a CV as well as completing online tests in numeracy and skills such as decision making.

I was then invited to a selection day in early 2012.

At the selection day we had to sit medical and major incident papers, complete navigation exercises, undergo a fitness test which including press ups, sit ups and a bleep test, and attend to various scenarios including medical and paediatric ones.

After finding out I’d made it through the selection day, I then had to do a presentation and interview, before finding out I’d got the job.

Sounds tough! What was the next stage for you?

I had to work my notice person with East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) before I could start with Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA).

Once that was worked, I had to do a two week HEMS Crew Member course at an Air Ambulance base in North Devon, which started on 11th June. Here I learnt about navigation, aviation principles, meteorology, legislation and aeromedical considerations, as well as going out on some training flights.

When I had completed this, I was able to start working for WNAA at Coventry Airbase on 25th June.

And how have you found it so far? Has it lived up to your expectations?

It’s been absolutely brilliant, the guys and girls that work here are great and have been really supportive with helping me learn.

I’m on a training period for a while as I work my way towards a list of set competencies. I have two big folders to work my way through – one for aviation and one for medical. They include learning more about navigation as well as learning about all the new equipment I will be using.

What’s been the best bit so far?

The flying has been great! But it’s also been really interesting looking at accidents and incidents from a different angle from when I was at EMAS.

It’s been a really intense training period and I know it will be for a while yet but I’m really enjoying learning so many new things and working as part of such a fantastic team.

So there you go ladies and gents… if you want to be a HEMS paramedic, there’s a taster of just what you have to do. And I’m sure Adam will agree that it’s more than worth it.