HARTbeat
0500 - The alarm goes off and I leap out of bed with so much excitement, I am immediately exhausted, get back into bed and snooze for another 10 mins.
0510 - Ok really must get up now. A day of HART excitement awaits me.
0530 - I'm sitting in the car waiting for the windscreen to clear the morning mist. Petrol tank showing empty but it's payday as well so will finally be able to fill it up.
0550 - Have now passed 7 petrol stations, not a single one is open. Car is running on fumes and I am getting ready for it to conk out completely when I finally see a 24hr garage.
0600 - Tank is full again, can of Redbull is waking up my sleepy mind and there's no traffic so it's a very easy drive to HART's secret headquarters.
0640 - Due to no traffic I've been sitting in a side road for the last half hour - didn't want to look too keen!
0645 - The sleepy HART team are gathered in a huddle as I pull up. Time for a cigarette and a catch up with the night turn. Doesn't appear to have been much happening during the night but that is often the case.
0700 - Time to start checking the vehicles and the equipment. For a normal ambulance crew this is a quick 10 mins - make sure everything is working, warm up MDT's, check you have all essential equipment to save lives and check out drugs. HART's checks are amazingly long winded and it very quickly becomes clear why HART need at least an hour for their safety inspections. Due to what the HART Team are able to do, they have a lot of very specialist equipment that needs a full safety check in compliance with National Guidelines. If these checks are not performed at the start of every shift, and then a piece of equipment fails, there will be big trouble - not only for the person who happens to be wearing the equipment putting their own life in danger but the whole Team could be disbanded, having a National consequence. The main pieces that have to be checked are the BA (Breathing Apparatus). Every valve, nozzle, tube, strap etc has to be given the once over. The alarm systems are checked and double check - these are very clever. If the pack does not move for 30 seconds an alarm goes off. Should the pack still not move, then a really really loud alarm goes off and can only be turned off with a key that is left outside of the building or whatever they have entered. The tank pressure must then be checked. A normal BA tank should be 300psi. If, during checks, it is below 280psi, it is deemed unfit for use and the pack must be changed. It is completely understandable why this is in place. Frustrating however as pressure in tanks will always drop in a cold environment - such as being on the side of a vehicle all night. (I will go more into the this and many other problems in my next post). The masks are then put on and checks are done again, making sure the alarms sound when the pressure is low and making sure the communications work. All six HART members have a pack so for the first hour all we hear are beeps and buzzes, radio checks and oh buggers (It is quite cold and things are quite heavy!) One pack has failed as it's pre alarm only went off for 3 seconds. One pack is already at the menders so we are now 2 packs down.
0815 - Jobs are assigned so everyone knows which vehicle they are going on and what their tasks for the day are. 2 will be on the command vehicle and will sit in HQ looking for calls, 2 are of the equipment vehicle and heading to Ilford for a show and tell and then there are 2 cars running, one of which I will be on.
0900 - Delayed a bit at station as there is a big show and tell happening in the afternoon and plans need to be made for where everyone will meet, what they are taking etc. We head off on the car with the faulty BA unit. The packs are cared for by the LFB so any problems with them get fixed at their equipment centre in Croydon. That is where we are heading but morning traffic means it is a fairly slow journey. Gives us time to chat about HART and some of the calls they have been to recently (or should we say non-calls. Probably shouldn't mention the Puddle to any HART member!)
1000 - Sit in LFB mess room while the pack is being mended, they think it could just be a battery problem but it could take a while. Better for us to be off the road getting this mended than to have 2 packs sitting at LFB forever.
1030 - Time to go. We have been called to an RVP at an Embassy. There is a protest going on and the press have been tipped off that there may be some problems. Quick chat to LFB to explain we have to leave and then we have a 30 min journey into Central London on Blue lights. I can't hide how much fun that was!!
1100 - Arrive at RVP. We are first on scene and so we go and find the Police Sargeant who explains what they have been told and how they want it organised. An LAS Officer and crew then arrive (Standard turnout for these incidents). Mr HART Man gets his special suit on and then we stand around keeping an eye on things. Not much happens to be honest. It is a peaceful protest, there are some people talking, a bit of singing and flag waving and a fair amount of press. I've been told about the "no comment" answer to anyone who tries to get info. A couple of times we have people ask us what is happening (obviously press bods looking for an inside scoop). We play dumb (very easy for me - I wasn't actually playing!) and they go away.
1245 - All seems to be dispersing so we head back to Waterloo for some lunch before our show and tell.
1315 - After a very bad canteen lunch, we get back into the vehicles and head over to the US Embassy. I am very excited about this. I've been to the Embassy many times but I'm usually all nervous because I want them to give me a visa but this time we get to pull up at the back entrance and we are treated a bit like royalty. The guards with machine guns are a little intimidating but I'm assured they're not allowed to shoot me for an unpaid parking ticket from Connecticut in 2003.
1400 - The vehicles are all opened up and all the equipment is opened up for a very big show and tell. This is great for me as I really get to see what everything does. The Command vehicle is very fancy - Internet, satellite communication, hard hat cameras, a big CCTV camera on the roof, plasma screens, its own mobile network, radios and sky TV. It also has a microwave and a kettle!! (I will go into more detail about this vehicle in the next post) The equipment vehicle also lots of fancy PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as various types Breathing Apparatus, Chemical Suits, medical supplies etc.
1530 - Luckily we have finished the show and tell when our next call comes in - a suspect vehicle in NW London. We all pile into the vehicles and we are in the car, overtake the command vehicles and speed off across London. It's another fairly long trip on blue lights and this time through solid traffic. Still fun though! Eventually we pull up at the RVP only to be turned around to the other end of the road. This may seem well and good but it involves a fairly long detour but off we speed telling the command vehicles to go in via the other end. Too late, we can see them coming towards us. We stop so they can turn round and off we all go again in convoy! It's quite funny watching the people in the cars as they see a LAS FRU, 2 x Command Vehicles, a Fire Engine and an unmarked car with a blue light on it. You can see them wondering where there's a big incident going on!
1600 - Finally arrive at RVP - also at RVP are 4 Fire Engines, numerous Police cars, Expo as well as the HART Teams for us, Police (DCU (Don't Contaminate Us)) and Fire (RRT (Really Randy Trumpton)) (Can't remember what they actually stand for but I'm sure someone from HART or one of those teams will be kind enough to do that for me in the comments!!). An LAS Officer then arrives and hands me a radio, a phone and tells me I am now Silver Staff (or whatever the equivalent is now called). No No, I tell him, I'm not FCT trained. You are now, is his reply!! Fingers crossed this doesn't get any bigger. Then there is a lot of everyone liaising and assessing the situation, but mostly there is a lot of standing around while the Police make a more detailed assessment of the incident and can then start asking for extra support in whatever support they need. Luckily, in this case, the incident doesn't turn out to be a serious one (although from the initial information we were given, it really could have been). This gives me a great opportunity to be nosey inside the Fire RRT Truck and oh my god - it's like CSI on wheels!! It's brilliant - a mad scientist would have a field day in their! They have machines that can detect all different chemicals at a touch of a button, machines that suck up smells and tell you what's in the air, even little test tubes of powder that change colour when certain chemicals are present. I'd be interested to take some of those machines into work with me - we have a some really stinky people - I'd be interested to know what chemicals they are giving off!!
1730 - Everything is stood down and the only reason we are still on scene is because I'm still fascinated by the RRT and some of the other team members are finding somewhere to use facilities (That is one downside to major and potential major incidents - No toilets!)
1740 - Start heading back to Deptford, which by now if slow going as all the commuters are commuting! Get some lovely views of Central London though
1810 - Can't believe it! Almost home and we get a call to a fitting. Spin round and start speeding away but then get cancelled as the ambulance has arrived before us.
1820 - Almost get back again but then get called to another HART type job - looks as though we'll be late off - this one is coming through as a chemical incident from the LFB. Spin round and start speeding off again only to be cancelled just as we hit solid traffic!
1900 - Finally arrive back on station after a long but very interesting and enjoyable day.
Thank you to all the boys who kindly answered my numerous questions, kept me entertained and showed me what HART was really about. It was great and I can't wait to come out with you again. Well unless I upset you in my next post which will be what I REALLY think of HART!!
0510 - Ok really must get up now. A day of HART excitement awaits me.
0530 - I'm sitting in the car waiting for the windscreen to clear the morning mist. Petrol tank showing empty but it's payday as well so will finally be able to fill it up.
0550 - Have now passed 7 petrol stations, not a single one is open. Car is running on fumes and I am getting ready for it to conk out completely when I finally see a 24hr garage.
0600 - Tank is full again, can of Redbull is waking up my sleepy mind and there's no traffic so it's a very easy drive to HART's secret headquarters.
0640 - Due to no traffic I've been sitting in a side road for the last half hour - didn't want to look too keen!
0645 - The sleepy HART team are gathered in a huddle as I pull up. Time for a cigarette and a catch up with the night turn. Doesn't appear to have been much happening during the night but that is often the case.
0700 - Time to start checking the vehicles and the equipment. For a normal ambulance crew this is a quick 10 mins - make sure everything is working, warm up MDT's, check you have all essential equipment to save lives and check out drugs. HART's checks are amazingly long winded and it very quickly becomes clear why HART need at least an hour for their safety inspections. Due to what the HART Team are able to do, they have a lot of very specialist equipment that needs a full safety check in compliance with National Guidelines. If these checks are not performed at the start of every shift, and then a piece of equipment fails, there will be big trouble - not only for the person who happens to be wearing the equipment putting their own life in danger but the whole Team could be disbanded, having a National consequence. The main pieces that have to be checked are the BA (Breathing Apparatus). Every valve, nozzle, tube, strap etc has to be given the once over. The alarm systems are checked and double check - these are very clever. If the pack does not move for 30 seconds an alarm goes off. Should the pack still not move, then a really really loud alarm goes off and can only be turned off with a key that is left outside of the building or whatever they have entered. The tank pressure must then be checked. A normal BA tank should be 300psi. If, during checks, it is below 280psi, it is deemed unfit for use and the pack must be changed. It is completely understandable why this is in place. Frustrating however as pressure in tanks will always drop in a cold environment - such as being on the side of a vehicle all night. (I will go more into the this and many other problems in my next post). The masks are then put on and checks are done again, making sure the alarms sound when the pressure is low and making sure the communications work. All six HART members have a pack so for the first hour all we hear are beeps and buzzes, radio checks and oh buggers (It is quite cold and things are quite heavy!) One pack has failed as it's pre alarm only went off for 3 seconds. One pack is already at the menders so we are now 2 packs down.
0815 - Jobs are assigned so everyone knows which vehicle they are going on and what their tasks for the day are. 2 will be on the command vehicle and will sit in HQ looking for calls, 2 are of the equipment vehicle and heading to Ilford for a show and tell and then there are 2 cars running, one of which I will be on.
0900 - Delayed a bit at station as there is a big show and tell happening in the afternoon and plans need to be made for where everyone will meet, what they are taking etc. We head off on the car with the faulty BA unit. The packs are cared for by the LFB so any problems with them get fixed at their equipment centre in Croydon. That is where we are heading but morning traffic means it is a fairly slow journey. Gives us time to chat about HART and some of the calls they have been to recently (or should we say non-calls. Probably shouldn't mention the Puddle to any HART member!)
1000 - Sit in LFB mess room while the pack is being mended, they think it could just be a battery problem but it could take a while. Better for us to be off the road getting this mended than to have 2 packs sitting at LFB forever.
1030 - Time to go. We have been called to an RVP at an Embassy. There is a protest going on and the press have been tipped off that there may be some problems. Quick chat to LFB to explain we have to leave and then we have a 30 min journey into Central London on Blue lights. I can't hide how much fun that was!!
1100 - Arrive at RVP. We are first on scene and so we go and find the Police Sargeant who explains what they have been told and how they want it organised. An LAS Officer and crew then arrive (Standard turnout for these incidents). Mr HART Man gets his special suit on and then we stand around keeping an eye on things. Not much happens to be honest. It is a peaceful protest, there are some people talking, a bit of singing and flag waving and a fair amount of press. I've been told about the "no comment" answer to anyone who tries to get info. A couple of times we have people ask us what is happening (obviously press bods looking for an inside scoop). We play dumb (very easy for me - I wasn't actually playing!) and they go away.
1245 - All seems to be dispersing so we head back to Waterloo for some lunch before our show and tell.
1315 - After a very bad canteen lunch, we get back into the vehicles and head over to the US Embassy. I am very excited about this. I've been to the Embassy many times but I'm usually all nervous because I want them to give me a visa but this time we get to pull up at the back entrance and we are treated a bit like royalty. The guards with machine guns are a little intimidating but I'm assured they're not allowed to shoot me for an unpaid parking ticket from Connecticut in 2003.
1400 - The vehicles are all opened up and all the equipment is opened up for a very big show and tell. This is great for me as I really get to see what everything does. The Command vehicle is very fancy - Internet, satellite communication, hard hat cameras, a big CCTV camera on the roof, plasma screens, its own mobile network, radios and sky TV. It also has a microwave and a kettle!! (I will go into more detail about this vehicle in the next post) The equipment vehicle also lots of fancy PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as various types Breathing Apparatus, Chemical Suits, medical supplies etc.
1530 - Luckily we have finished the show and tell when our next call comes in - a suspect vehicle in NW London. We all pile into the vehicles and we are in the car, overtake the command vehicles and speed off across London. It's another fairly long trip on blue lights and this time through solid traffic. Still fun though! Eventually we pull up at the RVP only to be turned around to the other end of the road. This may seem well and good but it involves a fairly long detour but off we speed telling the command vehicles to go in via the other end. Too late, we can see them coming towards us. We stop so they can turn round and off we all go again in convoy! It's quite funny watching the people in the cars as they see a LAS FRU, 2 x Command Vehicles, a Fire Engine and an unmarked car with a blue light on it. You can see them wondering where there's a big incident going on!
1600 - Finally arrive at RVP - also at RVP are 4 Fire Engines, numerous Police cars, Expo as well as the HART Teams for us, Police (DCU (Don't Contaminate Us)) and Fire (RRT (Really Randy Trumpton)) (Can't remember what they actually stand for but I'm sure someone from HART or one of those teams will be kind enough to do that for me in the comments!!). An LAS Officer then arrives and hands me a radio, a phone and tells me I am now Silver Staff (or whatever the equivalent is now called). No No, I tell him, I'm not FCT trained. You are now, is his reply!! Fingers crossed this doesn't get any bigger. Then there is a lot of everyone liaising and assessing the situation, but mostly there is a lot of standing around while the Police make a more detailed assessment of the incident and can then start asking for extra support in whatever support they need. Luckily, in this case, the incident doesn't turn out to be a serious one (although from the initial information we were given, it really could have been). This gives me a great opportunity to be nosey inside the Fire RRT Truck and oh my god - it's like CSI on wheels!! It's brilliant - a mad scientist would have a field day in their! They have machines that can detect all different chemicals at a touch of a button, machines that suck up smells and tell you what's in the air, even little test tubes of powder that change colour when certain chemicals are present. I'd be interested to take some of those machines into work with me - we have a some really stinky people - I'd be interested to know what chemicals they are giving off!!
1730 - Everything is stood down and the only reason we are still on scene is because I'm still fascinated by the RRT and some of the other team members are finding somewhere to use facilities (That is one downside to major and potential major incidents - No toilets!)
1740 - Start heading back to Deptford, which by now if slow going as all the commuters are commuting! Get some lovely views of Central London though
1810 - Can't believe it! Almost home and we get a call to a fitting. Spin round and start speeding away but then get cancelled as the ambulance has arrived before us.
1820 - Almost get back again but then get called to another HART type job - looks as though we'll be late off - this one is coming through as a chemical incident from the LFB. Spin round and start speeding off again only to be cancelled just as we hit solid traffic!
1900 - Finally arrive back on station after a long but very interesting and enjoyable day.
Thank you to all the boys who kindly answered my numerous questions, kept me entertained and showed me what HART was really about. It was great and I can't wait to come out with you again. Well unless I upset you in my next post which will be what I REALLY think of HART!!
posted by Beaker at
10:01 AM
2 Comments:
My 'ordinary' ambulance VDI takes more than 10minutes. Dont be so dismissive.
By
Anonymous, at 6:40 PM
Apologies - wasn't meant to be dismissive - was just making the point that HARTs VDI takes over an hour which is much longer than an ambulance one. And we can send crews out when a full VDI hasn't been completed whereas ART can't do that - although I know we shouldn't!! I'm not dissing ambulance crews - was merely talking about something different.
By
Beaker, at 7:02 PM
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