November 2009 - Injured Paramedic puts others first

A PARAMEDIC who went to the aid of the occupants of a car which had smashed into his emergency vehicle despite being injured in the crash himself has been commended for his actions.

Simon Standen, 33, a critical care paramedic with Magpas, was trapped in his vehicle which started to smoke after the head-on crash on the A10 at Foxton while he was on an emergency 999 call.

He managed to free himself from the badly damaged car and limped to the other vehicle where he treated the injured occupants before he was taken for treatment himself by ambulance.

Simon, from St Ives, was presented with a Chief Officer's commendation in an East of England Ambulance Service awards ceremony.

"It is a bit embarrassing, but it is nice to get some recognition when you feel you are only doing your job," Simon said. Simon has been seconded to the Magpas emergency service, based at RAF Wyton, by the ambulance service, and his job involves treating people who have received critical injuries at the scene of accidents. He was on his way to a 999 call at speed with his blue lights flashing when a car travelling in the opposite direction pulled out to overtake and smashed into him head-on in May last year.

"The footwell was badly damaged and my feet were trapped by the pedals," Simon said. "The car started to fill with smoke but I was able to get free and climb out of the passenger window.

"I got my bags from the boot and hobbled down the road to the other car. There were two lads in the car who had been drinking and had suffered relatively minor injuries. I treated them at the scene and then went in the ambulance which had arrived for themselves and me." Simon, who started as a nurse and then became a paramedic before training to deal with people who had been critically injured, suffered muscular injuries in the crash, but only took a short time away from work where he is also Magpas emergency medical team manager. Magpas volunteer Emma Greaves, who co-ordinates two Community First Responder schemes in Cambridgeshire, also received a commendation.

Daryl Brown, Magpas operations manager, said: "We are incredibly proud of all our volunteers. For Simon and Emma to be recognised at this awards ceremony is wonderful and has given the charity a fantastic boost."