Going the extra mile

There’s nothing we like more at In Safe Hands than going the extra mile for our clients – 12,000 miles on this occasion!

Ross Parkinson, Ambulance Technician and team leader with Cornwall Search and Rescue, is a trainer with In Safe Hands. He found himself in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, in October 2018.

The purpose of his visit was to continue the First Response Emergency Care (FREC) training we’ve provided there since 2015.

We began working on the British Overseas Territory when another of our trainers, Carlton was based there three years ago with the Bristow Group Search and Rescue as a specialist Paramedic, and has years of experience.

He wanted to do something to help the community, saying, “Getting help to someone fast can mean the difference between life and death, particularly IN such an isolated location.”

But this visit wasn’t just about ensuring the islands’ Fire and Rescue Service updated and achieved medical requalification – Ross also put the team through their paces teaching them cliff and rope rescue techniques.

“It’s been amazing to work with the team here and I’ve certainly enjoyed ‘showing them the ropes,’ so they can feel confident responding to a variety of emergency situations,” he said.

Falklands Firefighter Gene Berntsen spent three weeks with us earlier in the year, to enable him to take  new knowledge back to his colleagues. This included Chief Fire Officer Gardner Fiddes, who has been impressed with the positive impact our long-distance collaboration has had.

In Safe Hands Training has never shied away from travel to deliver training; in fact we embraced the opportunity to spread our wings and deliver training to the highest standard, wherever it is in the world – this was just another day at the office.

Call us on 0844 800 9902 or visit our courses section online to learn more about how we can provide training locally, nationally and internationally.