History

History of the Kings Lynn Cycle Response Unit

In late 2006 Team Leader Carl Smith and Clinical Field Operations Manager Del Fergusson formed the idea of running an ambulance response bike in Kings Lynn and at the feasibility of such a unit.

When the statistics were examined they looked promising and Frank Harradence, assistant director of operations granted permission for a live trial to run in summer 2007. Invitations to staff to apply for the trial were sent out via the ambulance service intranet and bulletin.

Four members of staff applied, Paul Chittock, Mark Collins, Jim Davies and Dean Richards.

An assessment day was organised for the 9th of May 2007 at Kings Lynn Fire Station. The assessment day comprised of a clinical scenario, equipment check and practical bike riding/handling. The assessment was based on the Metropolitan Police, City of London Police and the London Ambulance Service cycle response course. The assessments were supervised by Frank Harradence Assistant Director Operations, Darren Rutterford, Simon Tomlinson from the Norwich Cycle Response Unit and Team Leader Carl Smith, all four applicants were successful.

The trial was set to run for eight days over two weeks in the summer of 2007. Both the local press and the Kings Lynn Town centre managers were informed that the trial would be running in this time.

The trial was a success and this generated overwhelming public and business interest. Local groups and businesses started to donate money towards the scheme, notably Dow Chemicals who donated £3900 to buy our bike and personal bike clothing for each rider, and the Kings Lynn Heart Group who donated £1100 towards general equipment. Local bike suppliers Surf 55 were supportive in supplying and servicing the bike. The ambulance service has supplied most of the other equipment and drugs.

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Training...

The ambulance service paid for a three-day cycle response course in November 2007 in London with the City of London, Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance Service. This course is mandatory and the standard for emergency service responders on bikes and all four staff successfully completed the course.

The generous donations by local businesses helped get the bike scheme up and running by February 2008. It ran initially for three days a week with these days being Tuesday, Friday and Saturday as these appeared to be our busiest days.

The Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk CCTV Operations Manager and his CCTV team have been exceptionally supportive to our scheme. The council have let us use the CCTV room in the council offices as our base, the use of their rest facilities and cupboards for storage of some small items of equipment, dressings oxygen masks etc. The CCTV manager has also loaned us the use of one of their radios so we can be in direct contact with the CCTV control for our own safety, they can also alert us if they see an incident in town.

Caffé Nero and the Green Quay on the waterfront give us free coffee and other businesses in the town centre are supportive by letting us use their canteen/restrooms, including the Corn Exchange, Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s.