Front-line ambulance staff and responders who helped save the life of a boy who fell from a coach on the A47 in Norfolk were amongst a host of winners at a East of England Ambulance Service awards ceremony.
Dozens of staff and volunteers were recognised for long service and acts of bravery at the special event in Newmarket on Friday night.
The evening saw Chief Officer Commendation awards being handed to Andrew Latter, Andrew Long, Darren Sullivan, Carl Smith and Ray McAlistar for their response to a nine-year-old boy who was seriously injured after falling out of a bus on the A47 at Tilney All Saints, near King's Lynn, last month.
Also commended in the ambulance service awards were Mark Collins, Terry Hicks, Peter Leggett, Carole Rusted, Christopher Steele, Peter Temeseari and Ryan Warwick who responded to a road traffic collision on the A47 at East Winch on March 26, which resulted in the death of three members of the same family.
Anthony Marsh, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance praised the 'hard work, dedication and commitment of our wonderful ambulance staff and volunteers' at the event at Tattersall's Conference Centre in Newmarket.
He said: 'Not many people can say that they work for an organisation that saves lives every day, but we do, and hundreds of thousands of patients benefit from the care they get from us every year.'
Several staff and volunteers from Norfolk were presented with 20, 25, and 35 years' long service awards and the Queen's Medal for long service and good conduct - a medal specially for ambulance staff which was presented on behalf of the Queen by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.
Mr Marsh added: 'I started my career in the ambulance service more than 27 years ago, so I know what a difficult job our staff and volunteers have. I am very proud to lead this ambulance service with such passionate and motivated staff and volunteers, who work day in and day out to help patients, often in their greatest hour of need.'
Other awards recognised the long service of volunteers, those who had gone above and beyond the call of duty in trying to save lives, and Georgina Humpreys and Chloe Mansfield received child bravery awards for calling 999 when their mothers were taken ill.
Award winners had clocked up more than 1,400 years service between them and were also presented by Dan Poulter, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and health minister and Nigel Pickover, editor-in-chief of the EDP.
Other award winners from Norfolk -
• Adrian Magnus and Tim Thirst, both community first responders in Norfolk, were given outstanding achievement awards for their contribution to moving the CFR programme forward with the trust.
• Alma Borrett, who has been an ambulance car driver for more than 30 years in Norfolk.
• 10 years volunteer award:
- Mark Fanning from Wayland community first responder (CFR) group.
Robert Cairney from Narborough and Pentney CFR group.
35 years NHS service:
- Dennis Clarke, paramedic in King's Lynn.
- Ad Fielder, emergency medical technician in Waveney.
25 years' NHS service:
- Diane Chan, assistant general manager in Norfolk.
- Rogan Day, duty operational manger from Waveney.
- Stuart Edwards, paramedic from Waveney.
- June Emblem, nurse clinician in Norfolk.
- Robert Hemsley, duty manager in Norwich control room.
- Joyce Hood, patient transport services in Waveney.
- Clare Howe, Norfolk 111.
- Kevin Hunt, paramedic in Norwich.
- Kevin Rawlins, resilience manager in Norwich.
- Anthony King, emergency medical technician in Downham Market.
Queens Medal for 20 years service:
- Tim Fiddy, emergency care practitioner in out of hours primary care service.
- Darren Fowler, emergency care practitioner from Thetford ambulance station.
- Victoria Harris, supervisor from Swaffham station.
- Sean McAuley, duty operational manager from King's Lynn.
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