Episode 1 First Time on the Front Line

Britain's next generation of emergency service recruits

chosen from a pool of thousands.

Rookies like 20-year-old Amber.

Does she have what it takes to become a police officer?

I'm so nervous.

Sam has dreamt of becoming a paramedic all his life,

but how will he cope on his very first shift?

I am absolutely petrified.

And Scottish recruit Ian's hopes of becoming a firefighter

have become a reality, but is he up to the job?

Now the real learning begins.

Roger that.

They've survived months of intensive training.

-Come on, let's move!

-Get back!

-We've made contact.

They've been tested to their limits.

Spray, spray!

It's burning.

Stop panicking, don't worry.

All to realise their dream careers.

I love this job.

Join them for their first time on the front line.

In today's programme, on her first shift, police special Amber

is sent on a drugs raid, but will she remember her lines?

Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

-Concerned...?

-Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

Smoke and zero visibility tests rookie firefighter Ian to the limit.

If I can deal with this, then I'm going to be able

to deal with it in a real-life situation.

And on his very first day as a paramedic,

Sam has to respond to every parent's worst nightmare.

He's taken an overdose of Calpol

-and it appears he has drunk the entire bottle.

-Let's go!

20-year-old Amber-Louise Evans

is determined to become a police officer.

She's about to start a degree in police studies

and has volunteered as a special constable.

I've wanted to join the police for as long as I can remember.

I've got quite a lot of family who are in the services.

They are in the army and the navy,

so they've always been trying to encourage us to join somewhere.

And the police has just been great.

Each year, around 20,000 police officers are attacked in Britain

in the line of duty, so specials' training prioritises self-defence.

We're going to do five shin strikes, so bringing it round.

ALL: Get back! Get back! Get back!

And it opens from down there.

In the baton work, I've been finding it hard to get aggressive enough.

I can't imagine myself hitting someone.

It made be feel a little bit faint, actually,

thinking I could be hitting someone with this.

So I hope I don't have to use that,

but in the moment, I think that's something that will come to you.

The adrenaline and the rush of the moment will get you ready for it.

Amber believes volunteering as a special

will help her achieve her dream police career.

I'd just turned 18 when I applied. I'm 20 now and I'm training.

Becoming a special offers potential full-time recruits

a taste of front-line duties.

These volunteers make up around 25% of each force's strength.

I feel a lot more independent going places.

Walking up to people and speaking to them.

It's made me feel really involved.

And it's made me feel proud.

After 20 days of training covering personal safety,

arrest protocols and how to use specialist police equipment...

Spray, spray!

..Amber passed the final exam and was sworn in by a magistrate.

-That's the money.

-LAUGHTER

Receiving her warrant card was a proud moment for Amber

and her fiance, Eddie.

I'm really proud of her. She's gone through the whole process.

She's worked very hard.

I think everyone that knows her has known that.

It's what she's always wanted to do for years.

I'm quite nervous.

People are going to be actual criminals, not actors.

It's just going to be... I'm really looking forward to it.

Two months later, and Amber is on her very first shift as a special.

I'm really nervous. Sweating a little bit.

I'm just going to try and be prepared for anything, really.

That's the scary part. You don't know what's going to come up.

This isn't going to be a soft start.

Her life on the front line begins with a drugs raid.

I'd just like to thank everybody for coming today to this Operation Kirksville.

This is in relation to an investigation

into the supply of a Class B controlled drug, namely cannabis.

Drug-related crime cost the UK £13.3 billion last year,

and today's operation in Warrington

is a response to significant intelligence

about a spate of drug-linked burglaries in the town.

These kids are taking cannabis on tick, on tab.

They're drilling up a tab and having to go out and commit crimes

to pay back what they owe to the dealers.

A drugs raid gives a whole new meaning to first-shift nerves.

Specials are assigned constable tutors.

Amber's mentor today is PC Richard Whitehead.

He'll be with her every step of the way.

When we arrive at the address, we've got an entry officer

who will be obviously trying the door first to see if it's unlocked.

If not, entry will be forced.

As we go straight in, we'll then secure him and arrest him

and we'll then commence a search at the address.

Amber's training will be vital today.

I've been told it was going to be an operation,

but that's all I've been told.

I wasn't sure what else it was going to be.

This, compared to any other day, is going to be...

Well, they're all going to be exciting,

but this one is really exciting purely because it's my first one.

And it's quite an intense day to do, as well.

Everyone here, they all know the job, they're all really confident,

but they were all new once and I'm sure

no-one's going to be bothered if I'm a bit nervous today

because that's what they're going to expect from me.

It's about supporting Amber, making sure that she feels comfortable,

feels confident in the people she's with

and relies on what she's been taught in the training to be a special.

There's just enough time for one last rehearsal.

Put your arms out in front of you, please.

Show me the backs of your hands and the fronts of your hands. Thank you.

Can you take your left hand and put it under your right elbow.

That's brilliant. Thank you.

-Double locked. OK.

-Brilliant. Perfect.

The drugs raid is minutes away.

Its kind of hit me now, what it's going to be about,

and it's just... I'm so nervous!

Amber's right to be worried.

This is what she joined up for.

But has she got what it takes?

78 miles away in the Midlands, another emergency service rookie

is enduring some nerves of his own.

166 over 73.

West Midlands Ambulance Service is holding a recruitment day

for recent paramedic graduates.

22-year-old Sam du Plessis Grimson

is being put through his paces along with 106 other applicants

who've completed two-year degrees in paramedic sciences.

We've got quite a long day ahead.

Appreciate you're nervous and anxious. Good luck with today.

When he was 16, Sam was in the air cadets

and he helped a fellow cadet who collapsed during an exercise.

The experience changed his life.

The kid got quite ill and there was no-one else around

and I'd just had a bit of first aid training and went,

"We should get him on his side and talk to him."

And people came and sorted him out and he went to hospital.

Then he came up to me about three days later and said,

"Were you the guy talking to me?"

And I said, "Yeah, that was me." And he said, "Oh, thank you."

And I was just, like, that was such a nice sort of...

When he said, "Thank you for that."

That's really sort of what got me into wanting to do this.

Less than half of these candidates will be offered jobs.

-Their medical knowledge...

-It's not rocket science, it's three knots.

..CPR skills...

Insert the blade to the right.

-..physical condition...

-Lift up, not backwards.

-..and driving...

-You're going to do a driving assessment.

..all put to the test.

Well done.

It's easy to say it's fairly straightforward because it's what we do.

But clearly, these guys are under assessment conditions.

It's probably no more or no less stressful

than managing a cardiac arrest with anxious relatives at the side.

White one to the top right shoulder,

red one to the left side of the mannequin's chest.

I'm more nervous now about finding out whether or not we get a job today.

It puts the pressure on a little bit.

As the recruitment day draws to a close,

it's time to find out who's made it and who hasn't.

For Sam, the big moment has arrived.

-Will I tell you your results?

-Yeah.

-Congratulations.

Oh, brilliant! Thank you so much!

-Oh, fantastic!

-Well done!

Oh, my God! Thank you so much.

Brilliant! Thank you.

It's just everything I've wanted for the last two years

and now it's all come true.

Soon after securing his job,

Sam attended his Coventry University graduation ceremony

in front of his proud parents.

Samuel Hugo du Plessis Grimson.

APPLAUSE

I'm amazingly proud of what he's achieved.

-I'm, I'm...

-Definitely.

-Our hearts are bursting.

-Yeah.

Just couldn't be more proud as parents.

But even after being selected and graduating from uni,

there's still six weeks' additional training to get through.

Keep your hands on there for us.

And now it's time for everything Sam's learned to be put to the test

-as he arrives for his first shift.

-Really looking forward to it,

but I'm not going to lie, I am absolutely petrified.

But we'll see how it goes.

They say you never forget your first 999 call,

I'm definitely not going to forget mine today.

I'll probably remember the entire day for the rest of my life.

Sam's mentor is experienced paramedic, Kat Moore.

Somebody once said to me, I think this is how it should be,

to treat every patient as if they're family and you can't go wrong.

-BLEEPING

-We've got a job.

-Off we go.

Just minutes into the shift

and Sam's responding to his first 999 call.

A neighbour is worried about an elderly resident in the flat above.

They heard a loud bang and they can't get any response

from the patient through the letter box.

This is the first time Sam's driven under real blue light conditions.

He isn't hanging around.

The patient is called John, but until they make contact,

they have no idea what they're dealing with.

Good communication skills are vital.

Do you know him quite well?

-Yes. He's been living here 14 years.

-Oh, right, OK.

John? Can you open the door for us?

-Hello, John.

-Hi, John.

John reveals he has fallen and hit his head on a door.

Big bang on my head.

How long ago was that, then, John?

About half an hour ago, I believe.

OK. Any pain down the back?

Keep your head still for me.

Oh, yeah, I can feel the pain there.

-There?

-Yeah. Ooh!

Remembering his training, Sam is quickly on the case.

-Do you live alone, John?

-Yes, I do.

-Yeah?

That's why I'm surprised. They must be very kind to...

-Yeah, your neighbour.

-The bang must have been very...

Your neighbour from downstairs was very concerned.

-You have very good neighbours, definitely.

-Oh, yes.

When someone has had a fall and possible head injury,

you want to check your blood pressure and things like that

because that can indicate something more sinister is going on.

How old are you, John?

How old do you think I am?

I would say 45.

I wish I was. I am 78 years old.

78! Wow, you're looking well for that, aren't you?

As a younger man, John was a middleweight boxer.

He's got all these photos of himself.

It's amazing, some of the people you meet, the stories they have.

The tests reveal some concerns.

Your blood pressure is a little bit on the high side.

So it would indicate your heart's working a little bit harder.

It's always something that we prefer to get checked.

We'd like to take you to hospital.

-Kat is impressed with Sam already.

-Brilliant.

The first barrier is communication, so there's no problem there.

John wants to walk to the ambulance unaided.

This is the young lady who called for you.

The next you want to wake me up,

just stamp your feet, don't fall off the bed.

-As long as you're OK, sweetheart.

-Thank you very much. Thanks.

Within minutes, John is delivered safe and sound to hospital.

I'm just going to do your initial assessment.

His heart concerns and his head injury

will be thoroughly checked out by specialists.

-Thank you, folks.

-OK.

Meeting and helping people like John

is why Sam wanted to be a paramedic.

It's such a great job.

Yeah, so much fun. Nice first patient.

Let's hope the rest are like that.

Back in Warrington, police special Amber is worried.

Richard, am I going in and just full-on arresting this guy, then?

-Yeah.

-For, like, what, concerned about the supply of...

Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

-Concern of...?

-Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

Concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

-Not on drugs?

-Don't worry about it. You'll remember that.

She's less than three hours into her first day

and is about to take part in a major drugs raid.

Police dogs, forced-entry officers

and backup are all waiting for the go sign.

It's taken 162 hours of training to get to this point.

Amber doesn't want to mess up.

RADIO: "Strike, strike, strike!"

When the suspect is located, Amber is straight in the middle of it.

She's facing her first arrest. Will the training pay off?

Press down underneath your right arm. Thank you.

You're under arrest for concern of the supply of controlled drugs.

You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence

if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court. Do you understand?

-Do you understand?

-Yeah.

This arrest is necessary for effective, prompt investigation.

Amber may have been nervous, but her arrest was word perfect.

It's a good start, but this isn't over yet.

An effective search is essential for the arrest to stick.

Basically, we're on the lookout for phones, diaries, obviously drugs.

I'm just hoping I don't miss anything.

Amber's adrenaline is still flowing from her first arrest.

It's so scary.

I was worried I sounded new when I arrested him, as well,

but I think I did all right.

I got everything, I said everything I was supposed to say.

Oh, Harry Potter.

Her search reveals no drugs.

The next stage is bringing in a sniffer dog.

Amber is still getting used to her new role.

I always tidy up my boyfriend's bedroom,

so I kind of just get into it. Look, I'm shuffling these!

She knows if the sniffer dog finds something she has missed,

it will be a serious blow on her first day.

She needn't have worried. The dog doesn't find anything either.

That is a relief.

If I'd missed anything out and the dog had found it instead of me,

I'd have felt well disappointed if that had happened.

And because no evidence was found,

investigating officer Richard

advises Amber to de-arrest the suspect.

You're no longer under arrest.

This could happen again next week if you continue mucking about,

so switch on, yeah? All right.

Amber's happy to come out of her first drugs raid in one piece.

It's kind of a relief now.

I guess you never know what's going to happen.

You never know what could be behind the door, who could be in the house.

You've just got to be ready for anything.

Later, Amber and her mentor help out when another house is raided.

And an intriguing package takes them both by surprise.

To survive life as a firefighter on the front line,

you need to be prepared.

And that requires training, lots of it.

Come on, let's move!

Rookie firefighter Ian Kennedy has just completed

an intensive 14-week training programme

at Scottish Fire and Rescue's training centre.

He learned how to respond to major incidents...

OK. Up the hill.

..extract people from car crashes,

evacuate casualties from burning buildings...

You're going in firefighting with a jack.

..and how to put out a 500-degree blaze, hot enough to melt metal.

Ian's dreamed of being a firefighter for as long as he can remember.

I wanted to help people.

All my family are nurses but I didn't see myself as doing that.

So I really liked it when these jobs came up and I'm just

so pleased I've managed to get in.

Roger that, over.

When Ian graduated from the academy and showed off his skills to

a large audience, his whole family was there to see him.

I think any father would be glad to have a son like Ian.

He's fulfilled everything.

I'm extremely proud of Ian

and have been for many years because he's my son.

Fall...out!

It really hit home when I stood out there and everyone's clapping.

It felt like they were clapping for ages and it just sinks in

and you feel like "Yeah, this is it, I've done it,

"I've achieved what I set out to do."

After graduation,

Ian was posted to Cowcaddens Fire Station in Glasgow city centre.

The city's fire stations serve nearly 600,000 people.

They're the busiest in Scotland, attending over 1,000 fires every year.

At Cowcaddens, Ian has to serve a probationary three-year term

before becoming a fully-fledged firefighter.

He's just come on day shift and it's straight into a training exercise.

Crew commander Karla Stevenson is going to put him

through his paces on a breathing apparatus drill,

watching him on infrared camera to make sure

he doesn't put a foot wrong.

We've got one casualty in this bedroom here.

There's another bedroom in here...

..and we've got a further two casualties in here.

But to get to the casualties, Ian will have to work his way

through an unknown building, working blind.

It will be in darkness and we'll be using artificial smoke as well.

Smoke generated, lights out,

the recruits prepare to head into a simulated house fire.

Casualty evacuation requires solid teamwork and Ian's

about to do it with colleagues he's only just getting to know.

I want you to commence a left-hand search from the first door

on the left-hand route into the second apartment.

When he gets inside, Ian will have to use a specialist technique to

navigate in zero visibility.

It's very tactile. You're using your mind

and, you know, the backs of your hands to build up a picture of where you are.

One of the toughest challenges firefighters face is locating casualties

in smoke-filled buildings before their air supply is exhausted.

Since 1978, over 80 firefighters have died on duty in Britain.

Can you give me a location update? Over.

By pressing his hand against the wall,

Ian's able to inch his way around the room.

He uses the back of his hand

so if it gets cut on something sharp, he'd still be able to use it.

He moves his hands above his head

to ensure there are no obstacles like hanging cables or beams.

When you're in a room

that you can't see, the room is as big as your imagination.

That is the honest truth. It can be quite claustrophobic.

It's strange because you could be in quite an open area

and it's claustrophobic because you can't see.

In Britain, over 44,000 houses go up in flames each year.

The main cause of death is smoke inhalation rather than burns.

It's not scary. It's just different.

At first you're not quite sure how to deal with it

but as you go on, you become a bit more familiar, a bit more comfortable.

Ian and his partner succeed in finding

and rescuing the casualties in good time.

Karla is impressed.

They were good. Yeah. Adhered to the proper drill procedures.

Communication was great. Found the casualties no problem.

Kept in touch with the back-ups.

No problem.

For Ian, getting it right in training is essential to his future.

He'll be continually assessed for the next three years

and needs to impress if he's to pass his probationary period.

It's a sense of achievement.

You feel like, "If I can deal with this,

"I'm going to be able to deal with it in a real-life situation."

You come out of it just feeling amazing, like you've learned

something valuable for the rest of your life.

End of the shift - game over.

Back in Birmingham, rookie paramedic Sam

and his mentor Kat are on another call-out.

A baby has drunk a bottle

of child pain medicine containing paracetamol.

It's what's called a red back-up call, and for the first time,

Sam's in charge. He will take the lead clinical role.

Red back-up is a fairly poorly patient

and they need to be extricated immediately.

So it's my first attending job, so I hope it goes well.

On arrival, Sam's briefed by a rapid response paramedic.

Mum nipped out to do the breakfast.

He took the whole lot of the Calpol.

I think there might have been one dose out of it, that's all.

-I've put "worst case scenario, he's had the bottle."

-Yes.

No wonder it was an urgent call - Dylan may look fine,

but a paracetamol overdose can cause permanent liver damage or even death

if not treated within 60 minutes.

It's quite a large dose.

It's still within an hour, so we're going to rush him

up to the hospital and get him sorted.

Dylan isn't Sam's only concern. Mum is worried.

She fears the paracetamol will already be harming her baby.

It would have already started working,

but there's quite a large timescale.

It's going to be fine, it's still within an hour.

Dylan's blood needs to be checked to ensure his blood sugar levels are normal.

If they are and he becomes drowsy,

it will be down to the paracetamol, not low blood sugars.

Here we go. Good boy.

The blood sugar levels are normal.

And Dylan's mum thinks he's looking sleepy.

He's starting to get a bit drowsy.

He's not drowsy, OK - he's fine.

Dylan may be alert now, but his condition could deteriorate rapidly.

Because Dylan's brother had to come along,

Sam's calling on his training to help keep the kids calm.

Surgical gloves have many uses!

As soon as Dylan reaches A&E, he'll be given charcoal solution

to combat the paracetamol in his bloodstream.

The earlier you can get it into the system, the more likely it is to work better.

So, yeah, that's basically charcoal, that's the one-hour window,

you want to try and get it in within that hour.

Every second counts.

Hello.

Dylan's delivered to the specialists within the golden hour,

giving him every chance of a good outcome.

And Sam successfully kept Dylan's mother calm en route.

The mum was really upset and she sort of felt herself to blame because

she wasn't in charge of her child, but accidents happen.

That's what we're here for.

When those accidents happen, we can help those people.

So, yeah, she did the right thing by calling us as soon as she did

because she realised the seriousness of the situation.

Sam's pleased with how that call went.

It is a fairly high dose of paracetamol

so that's why we had to get him here.

But he has little doubt what's been his highlight so far -

putting all his driver training into action

and getting to his first call fast.

Your first day and someone says, "Can you blue light?"

you do tend to go a bit mad but, yeah, I absolutely loved it.

Back in Warrington, rookie Special Amber and her mentor Richard are

helping colleagues at another house raided as part of today's operation.

Amber's taken one suspect's details

and needs to check him out on the police national computer.

But first she must master the radio, not easy on your first day.

Can I have a PNC persons check? That's 80573.

-Details and ready.

-What's that?

-Just say "Details and ready".

-Details and ready.

-I can't remember how to do it.

-Don't worry. Just take your time.

Amber's told there are no active

warrants for the suspect's arrest

and a search of the house reveals no drugs.

But outside, an intriguing tin has been placed under a tarpaulin.

It's obviously porridge and a Jaffa Cake.

It doesn't take long for Richard

to get to the bottom of his unexpected discovery.

The guy kept his personal weed in the back garden in that tin.

Someone who knew where it was has jumped the fence, took it,

and put this in as a joke to those people to say, "I know who you are."

Obviously, a little bag of porridge.

You could smell it. It's syrup flavour.

There's a little note, "Don't think I don't know who you are.

"Sly people," that took his drugs.

It wasn't the find they'd been expecting but Richard still

believes it's been a productive morning in the fight against

local drug dealers.

Impact-wise,

it's going to make them think twice about continuing what

they are doing or put them in such a position that they can't

operate from these addresses any more.

Amber's first shift had a huge impact on her confidence.

It's the first thing I've done at all, like, as a police officer.

It's just going to be one of those images that will be stuck

in my head for ever, but it was such a fun day

and I'm glad that was my first shift.

It was such a great experience.

Former boxer John's high blood pressure

returned to normal in hospital.

He's now back home and fighting fit.

The drugs raids clearly did send a message to local dealers

encouraging youngsters to commit crime to pay their bills.

Following the execution of the search warrants, thefts

and burglaries in Warrington reduced by almost 50%.

And baby Dylan's overdose treatment worked.

There was no damage to his internal organs

and he was discharged seven hours later.

Next time -

rookie police special Martin tracks down a man

accused of assault, but will he get to make his first arrest?

RNLI recruit Dave is scrambled to a mayday from a sinking boat.

And new paramedic Kelly has to deal with

two road traffic collisions - an elderly lady injured in a car crash

and a motorcyclist who may have broken his neck.

He needs moving before his fuel ignites.