Ambulance employee responded to emergency call while working from home

A member of East of England Ambulance Service who abandoned an online meeting to help save a man's life has been commended.
George Barber, acting Chief of Staff for the Trust, was working from home in a meeting with the Emergency Operations Centre in January, when the call came through the GoodSam app for first responders.

George Barber receives a Commendation from EEAST Chief Executive Tom Abell

Mr Barber, who is qualified as an emergency care assistant, checked the Trust’s computer-aided despatch system, and saw the nearest ambulance was still some distance away.

He left the meeting and jumped into his car, arriving at the leisure centre in Saffron Walden to find a man had gone into cardiac arrest in the pool.

Mr Barber said: “I arrived to find police giving good quality CPR and confirmed with control that it was both a cardiac arrest and that critical care were still attending. Then I supported doing CPR and maintaining the patient’s airway, and I had to pull the patient further out of the water before they were shocked due to safety.”
The patient eventually regained partial consciousness before being taken to hospital, where he made a full recovery.
Mr Barber, who has gone on to become a community first responder for EEAST, has been given the Chief Officer Commendation for his actions.

He is just one of 131 people who received an award as part of the Trust’s annual ceremony on Wednesday, July 5.
The ceremony honours courage and swift action in medical emergencies by blue-light colleagues and members of the public.
It also recognises outstanding commitment, long service and dedication by members of EEAST staff.

Tom Abell, chief executive, said: “George recognised this was an opportunity to save a life and instantly stepped out of his everyday role.
Without a doubt, his actions helped bring this patient back from the brink of death.”
If you want a job that gives you the opportunity to make a difference, start your #CareerForLife with EEAST today.
You can find out more about careers and volunteering opportunities at www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team.