Episode 3 First Time on the Front Line

Britain's next generation of emergency service recruits,

chosen from a pool of thousands.

Rookies like police special Andy,

faced with a serious car crash on his first night shift.

You get a better understanding how precious life is

and how quickly it can be taken away.

And 53-year-old Julie,

who wants to become a full-time paramedic

now her kids have left home.

It's nice to have that job satisfaction,

and to be able to give something back to the community.

Experienced climber Phil wants to join a mountain rescue team

to help people whose lives are on the line.

It's not for a sense of self gratification,

it's for other people.

They've survived months of intensive training.

-Come on, let's move!

-Get back!

OK, mate, we're going to lift you into the boat.

They've been tested to their limits...

-Spray, spray!

-It's burning.

Stop panicking. Don't worry.

..all to realise their dream careers.

I desperately want the job, and I'm incredibly nervous.

Join them for their first time on the front line.

In today's programme, police special Andy ends up in agony

when he bravely volunteers for a training demonstration.

Spray, spray!

-Just pain?

-I can't open my eyes.

Paramedic recruit Julie calls on all her training

to save the life of a patient who can barely breathe.

We're coming at you at all angles. Sorry about this, Betty.

While mountain rescue volunteer Phil discovers what can go wrong

when trying to save lives 480ft up a mountain.

-'All stop.'

-Just stuck on the rocks, Pete.

-All stop!

-'All stop.'

ALL: Get back!

Cheshire Police Training Centre near Chester.

A group of 30 Specials, volunteer police officers,

are nearing the end of their intensive

20-day training programme.

-ALL:

-Get back! Get back! Get back!

They've been arm-locked...

-Get down, get down, get down!

-..handcuffed,

thrown to the ground,

and pushed around,

as they learn the self-defence skills they'll need

when they start active duty.

You're all a little bit too eager to go to the floor onto your knees,

when you'd want to stay standing until you've got control,

and then take them down.

One of these rookies, 35-year-old dairy farmer Andy Robinson,

is always happy to throw himself in at the deep end for demonstrations.

Top cuff goes on, so from there, step round.

Arm out to the side, palm up.

Cross your legs. Look away from the sound of my voice.

So once you've got control of them,

now it's safe to go onto your knee.

Andy's farm is near Macclesfield in Staffordshire.

It has 200 cows producing 3,000 litres a day.

You can become consumed when you're a farmer.

It's your whole world,

and you don't go out anywhere or anything like that.

That's a bit too much for me.

I need to do something that interacts with people,

because ultimately, interacting with cows is all right,

but it's a one-way conversation.

COW MOOS

For some, joining the Specials is the first step

to becoming a fully-fledged police officer.

But for Andy, it's about helping his local community.

I think the Specials

are just that, really - special -

because they're actually

volunteering and giving up their own time.

You know, and it's precious time with their family

to help other people, and I think that's a really good thing.

And training volunteers to serve the community safely

is what this course is all about.

Today's lesson revolves around

a type of pepper spray called "Captor".

If that circumstance dictates that it's your only option,

and you have to use it, then use it.

Captor is sprayed into the eyes,

causing pain and temporary blindness,

and is used by the police for self-defence.

Trainer Darren Mundy demonstrates the correct technique with water.

Spray, spray!

A firing range of between three and ten feet

reduces the chances of the spray

rebounding back into the officers' faces.

Go!

ALL: Spray, spray!

It's not just about an accurate shot -

the sprayer has to remember to step to the side

to avoid the attacker stumbling into them.

Go!

ALL: Spray, spray!

Andy turns out to be one of the most accurate in the whole group.

Spray, spray!

It's quite fun, actually. HE LAUGHS

Captor's active ingredient is extremely hot chilli peppers,

and when it hits the eyes,

it makes them feel like they've been exposed to scalding heat.

Not surprisingly, it has to be handled carefully.

You need to make sure that the canister is pointing downwards, OK?

Because if you go like that and you sit down on it

with your seat belt in the car or something

and it goes off, you're going to get squirted in the face.

Basics covered, the training now steps up a level.

Specials have identical powers to their full-time colleagues,

and that includes using kit like Captor.

They need to understand it should only be used when justified.

To do that, they must experience it themselves,

and two volunteers are called for.

True to form, Andy steps up.

I want to know what it's like,

so I want to know what it's like here

as opposed to wrestling with somebody on a Friday or Saturday night.

It's impressive dedication to duty by Andy and his colleague -

one they're about to regret.

Spray, spray!

Arggh.

Kneel down.

OK. We know it hurts. OK, yeah?

Just breathe in. Try and regulate your breathing.

Nice and slow. Lift your head up for me.

So how are you feeling now?

-Burning.

-Burning pain?

-Yeah.

I can't open my eyes.

The effects will wear off,

-but I need you to work with me now, OK?

-OK.

Andy needs to open his eyes so air can get to them.

Only then will they water, reducing the pain.

One, two, go!

One, two, three, four, five.

-Good stuff.

-Good work, mate.

You can see how he's gripping my arm. It means he's still hurt.

All in all, it takes Andy half an hour to recover.

It hits you like a tonne of bricks.

If I was angry or wanting to hurt somebody,

that would just go straight out of my mind.

Andy's tutor was impressed he volunteered.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's just so painful, that is.

-Good stuff.

That's the worst thing I've ever experienced.

I'm proud of you.

He passed his training course with flying colours.

Two months later, and Andy arrives at Macclesfield Police Station

for his first night shift.

Before going out, he needs to put on a stab-proof vest -

a clear reminder that his training course is well and truly over.

Now he's doing it for real.

This is the breast plate.

Protects you from a multitude of attacks

that may potentially happen.

When they first start, Specials are assessed

during an 18-month probationary period by constable tutors.

Andy's mentor tonight is PC Karen Roome.

Just shout, "0574".

Just shout your collar number, and then Charlie knows.

Soon after they start their patrol, a call comes in.

'Charlie 5150 is reporting two...'

There's been a serious car crash in a nearby village.

They race to the scene.

The casualty's trapped in the vehicle.

Andy and Karen need to close the road quickly

to prevent other cars hitting him

or the firefighters trying to free him.

-How does this fix on here, Karen?

-It hooks over the top.

So we've got traffic coming from that way and that way,

so they both need to be able to see that.

Right, OK.

With the road safely sealed off,

they go down to the crash scene

to see what else they can do to help.

The firefighters are struggling to remove the badly injured driver

from the vehicle.

The road's likely to be closed for hours.

Thinking on his feet,

Andy heads back with lights to illuminate the road closure signs.

That looks fairly serious to me.

It takes a lot to shock dairy farmer Andy.

Farms are life-and-death places.

You see a life being born, and, you know, animals die,

and animals have to be destroyed, so you see life and death.

You don't get sentimental about it,

but I think you get a better understanding

how precious life is, and how quickly it can be taken away.

Mentor Karen hopes this first call-out won't have put Andy off.

It's one of those things that you either love it or you hate it,

and I hope that I can encourage him to love it.

We'll see how it goes.

70 miles away in the West Midlands,

another emergency service rookie is about to be put through their paces.

West Midlands Ambulance Service recruitment day.

Over 100 applicants - less than 50 jobs up for grabs.

Competition is fierce.

Nobody's here to trip you up -

we're testing you on knowledge that you know that you've already got.

The oldest applicant here is 53-year-old Julie Plante.

My background is obviously quite extensive.

You know, I'm not 18 years of age.

I taught first aid in schools for years,

trying to get as many children as possible

through their first aid certificates.

So you put that to 120 and then charge.

So do you want to do it?

-And you've got 120, 150, 200.

-Yeah.

As well as teaching first aid, Julie worked as a lorry driver

and brought up two kids.

When they left home, she wanted a new challenge,

so she completed a degree in paramedic science at university.

My children finished their education

so I decided it was time for me to get an education.

And now she's graduated,

Julie's desperate to become a fully-fledged paramedic.

It's the excitement, the adrenaline rush,

it's rewarding. It's nice to have that job satisfaction

and to be able to give something back to the community.

Julie and the other candidates

are assessed in resuscitation techniques...

..medical knowledge

and driving skills.

Can the young lady come in, please?

-Young lady, must be you, then. In you come.

-See you later.

Julie's last test is a practical involving a hypodermic syringe

and it doesn't go well.

I had a needle stick injury, the first time ever.

I mean, it's a clean needle, so that's fine,

but, of course, it was off-putting because I bled everywhere.

The assessments draw to a close.

The recruitment officers have selected

47 successful candidates out of the 107 applicants.

I desperately want the job and I'm incredibly nervous.

Julie's next to find out if she's made it.

Julie.

But with the competition so fierce,

she's worried her mistake with the syringe has blown her chances.

-Have a seat, please.

-Thank you.

I had a needle stick injury.

Fully aware. I was made aware of that. Don't worry.

Checked your paperwork, OK? We've had the feedback from it.

It's good news. Congratulations.

Have you got any questions for us before you go?

Erm, no. I may have 20 questions by the time I walk to the car

but at this moment, I'm just really happy.

Mission accomplished.

And two months later, Julie's starting a 12-hour shift

at her allocated ambulance hub -

Dudley in the Black Country.

First item on the agenda - signing morphine out of the drugs cupboard.

Julie's being mentored today by experienced paramedic Stacy Harris.

Always make sure you're happy with the amount of morphine

you've signed out, cos that is your registration.

West Midlands is the third busiest ambulance service in the country,

responding to over a million incidents a year,

and Julie and Stacy are already responding to a 999 call.

SIREN BLARES

-Right here?

-Yep, right here.

We're going to a female, 16-plus.

We haven't got the age of the female yet

and all we've got is that it is a breathing problem,

difficulty in breathing.

We've got no further update at present.

This sounds like a poorly patient, to be fair.

When Julie and Stacy reach the patient,

she's clearly in great distress.

-Do you want to go and sit down?

-Yeah.

85-year-old Betty is desperately struggling to breathe.

We'll shut the door and we'll do everything here.

I can see you are a little bit short of breath, aren't you?

How long have you been short of breath like this for, darling?

-Like this maybe two days.

-Two days.

-Yeah.

Have you had a recent chest infection?

I've been in the hospital, yeah.

Are you asthmatic?

-COPD?

-Yeah.

COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

affecting the lungs.

It's responsible for 25,000 deaths a year in the UK.

-Have you got pain in your chest, darling?

-Yeah.

It may be Julie and Stacy's first shift together,

but their teamwork has to be seamless.

Stacy takes the lead clinical role...

Is that hurting when you're breathing, darling?

..while Julie checks Betty's blood pressure.

She may be having a heart attack.

I need this to go on your wrist, OK?

Betty's given drugs to open her airways as Julie makes notes

so she can fully brief the doctors in A&E.

-Salbutamol.

-Salbutamol. 5mg.

-And ipratropium.

-That's painful, isn't it, Betty?

We're coming at you from all angles. Sorry about this, Betty.

Betty's given oxygen to prevent her falling unconscious.

The next challenge is reducing her pain.

Have you ever had morphine before, Betty?

It doesn't suit me.

-It doesn't suit you, morphine doesn't?

-No.

The only thing we can give you is paracetamol.

It's a tough start for Julie,

an elderly patient with multiple complications.

Oh, you're in a lot of discomfort there, Betty, aren't you?

Betty needs to be rushed to hospital immediately.

-Do you want the lights turned off?

-Yes, please.

The painkillers are starting to work.

Is that more comfortable?

And the oxygen levels in Betty's blood have improved too.

Stats are quite good, aren't they?

-Her stats were 100 percent, yeah.

-They're really good.

But her chest pain is a real concern.

But when I touch it, it's worse?

Julie takes on driving duties while Stacy monitors Betty in the back.

Do you still feel short of breath?

OK, sweetheart.

Betty's delivered to A&E within minutes.

Thanks to Julie and Stacey,

she's received life-saving care to stabilise her condition.

Now the hospital will take over.

What I find satisfying about the job is the fact that

you can go to a patient that's obviously in a lot of pain

and a lot of distress and by administrating morphine,

paracetamol, whatever is necessary,

you can minimise their discomfort

and it is very satisfying to be able to have some control over that.

It isn't only rookie paramedics

who have to deal with life and death situations -

so do mountain rescue recruits.

The Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

responds to over 60 call outs a year.

Its volunteers often have to operate in tough conditions,

so training camps for new recruits are rigorous and demanding.

They face helicopter drills...

..late-night orienteering challenges...

..and first aid role-plays.

A chest injury.

-Pneumothorax, possibly.

-Right, OK.

One recent addition to the team

is 42-year-old Phil Gerrard, who is a project manager.

Phil and his wife, Rachel, have two young children, Megan and Luke.

Crab gear and a half a stretcher if you're in Group 3 and 4, please.

Phil's motivation for joining mountain rescue

stems from his love of the great outdoors.

'I've spent the last 20-odd years running around the mountains'

and playing in the sea.

I always put a pound in the RNLI box

or mountain rescue box, for that matter,

and seen it as a bit of an insurance policy.

So now it's my turn to give a bit back.

Today's training scenario is based at Pillar Mountain

in the west of the Lake District.

It revolves around the rescue of a badly injured casualty

high up in the mountain.

THEY SPEAK ON WALKIE-TALKIE

Phil will be in charge of the rope team at the bottom of the descent.

His role will be crucial in ensuring the casualty

reaches the ground safely.

To make the training scenario realistic,

a volunteer is on the stretcher and a second volunteer, Pete,

will be attached on the way down.

Two lives in Phil's hands.

-RADIO:

-'Tension off on guiding line. Tension off on guiding line.'

RADIO: 'Copy that. Guiding line. Out.'

The aim is you stay relatively close to the rocks.

If you start feeling like you're drifting out into space, say so.

We'll give you a bit of slack on the guiding line and bring you in a bit.

In terms of rope rescue, this is as dangerous as it gets.

RADIO: 'In on guiding line.'

Communication between the team at the top

and Phil on the ground has be spot on.

Guiding line party ready.

Copy that, guiding line party ready.

The tension on the main rope and safety line must be exactly right

to avoid Pete and the casualty colliding with the rocks

on the way down.

Slow, slow on main and safety.

Steady out on main and safety.

Steady out on main and safety.

Pete and the casualty start their 500-foot descent,

-but soon they run into serious trouble.

-All stop. All stop.

Just stuck on the rocks, Pete.

Going to need a bit of brute force, I'm afraid.

That's it, keep going.

The stretcher is wedged into the rock 480 feet up.

Slowly out on main and safety. Slowly out on main and safety.

The ground team needs to increase the rope tension to help Pete

get the stretcher out, but if they overdo it, their two colleagues

could swing out into mid-air and then crash back into the cliff face.

Try and get some more tension in the guiding line.

I can see what you're doing -

we're getting some tension from that redirect, so that's good.

RADIO: 'Steady, steady.'

Phil's guide rope team got it just right.

The stretcher's no longer snagged.

Now it needs to be gently lowered inch by inch.

Again, the rope tension has to be precise -

too slack and Pete and the casualty could plummet to the ground.

Phil can't wait for the day he'll be doing this for real.

Saving people's lives is not about me. It's about them.

-'More tension on guiding line.'

-'Copy that.'

If I can make somebody have

a slightly better day on the mountains...

Speed's good.

..and get them safely from a place they are not very happy to be

to somewhere they're much happier to be...

Slow, slow on main and safety.

..it's not for a sense of self gratification

or recognition.

Down, down on main and safety. Down, down on main and safety.

It's for other people.

Mission accomplished.

Phil led his team like a veteran.

We've got the package.

I think it's just fantastic being up in the high mountains,

and for mountain rescue stuff,

every day is a school day.

Back in Macclesfield, volunteer police special Andy

and his mentor, Karen,

are responding to a report about a suspected drunk driver.

He's been stopped in a residential area

after being spotted driving recklessly.

My colleague's going to just take a breath test from you, OK?

If the driver is over the limit,

Andy will be making his first arrest.

-Have you had any alcohol in the last 20 minutes?

-No.

Have you had any products that may contain alcohol

-like mouthwash in the last 20 minutes?

-No.

OK.

On average, 1,500 people are killed or seriously injured in the UK

every year due to drink-driving.

Modern breathalysers are highly sophisticated.

Karen gives Andy tips on how to use one.

Switch it around because it's not a collision offence. Yeah.

When it comes to guiding the driver,

the instructions are rather more straightforward.

It's a bit like blowing up a balloon, sir,

so take a long deep breath in

and blow into the tube until my colleague tells you to stop.

Keep going, keep going, keep going.

On average, 89% of drivers who take a breath test

are given the all-clear.

But this driver isn't one of them.

That's 56. That's gone to "fail".

So if you listen to what my colleague is going to say...

Because you provided a positive test,

I am arresting you on suspicion of driving a vehicle on a road

while the proportion of alcohol on your breath

exceeds the prescribed limit.

Each year, over 100,000 motorists are arrested in Britain

for being over the limit.

Now Andy's arrested this driver,

he'll be taken to the station for another test to confirm the result.

But there's a problem -

what to do with the driver's dog, which is in the back seat.

DOG BARKS

Is there anybody at home? No.

-What about a neighbour or anybody?

-No, not really.

It's a welfare issue. We can't leave a dog in a car like that.

-Stay.

-Hello!

-Stay.

-Hello!

Andy's getting a lesson in common-sense policing.

Karen's taking the dog, Freddie, back to the station with its owner.

OK, Freddie, we're going to have to go for a little drive.

He's essentially got no family members, or so he says,

around here that can have the dog.

He's got nobody who can look after it,

so that's the only real course of action that we can take, basically.

-So he can come with me?

-He's in there with you.

All right, lovely.

I do love dogs, so I can't see it out in the streets.

Back at the station, and Andy has to fill in paperwork

about his first arrest.

He's learnt a lot from Karen tonight.

She's obviously got a lot of experience

so I think I'm pretty lucky in getting Karen.

He seemed to do OK and I think he'll do well.

I couldn't think of anybody better to be a mentor.

-RADIO:

-'Number seven.'

Back in the West Midlands, and ten hours into their shift,

rookie paramedic Julie and her mentor, Stacy,

are responding to a 999 call.

An elderly man has fallen at home.

Hello, there, is it Alan?

What have you been doing to him?

85-year-old Alan can't move off the floor of his bedroom

and his wife, Joyce, is unable to lift him.

-How long have you been down here, Alan?

-About ten o'clock.

Ten o'clock?!

Julie's taking the clinical lead.

Doing everything by the book,

she establishes her patient's medical history

before starting treatment.

-Did you have any giddiness or..?

-No giddiness.

-No, nothing like that.

-My leg...

HE MUTTERS

-OK.

-Alan has Parkinson's disease.

He's fallen twice in the last two days,

and if this case wasn't challenging enough,

his daughter, Karen, who has Down's syndrome,

is becoming increasingly distressed.

-If I'm pressing here, is this where you hurt?

-A little.

OK, I'm just going to have a look to see if there's any bruising, Alan.

He's got a bit of reddening here.

How often is he having falls?

He had one two weeks ago in the bathroom.

It took me half an hour to get him up.

Julie's training tells her Alan needs go to hospital.

Karen is terrified.

He's absolutely fine.

He's talking to us, he's breathing and everything, darling.

- It's, OK. - Don't take him, please.

Karen, let's wait and see what we find, OK?

Stacy ensures Julie stays focused on her patient's diagnosis.

Shall I tell you what I'm concerned about him?

He's having reoccurring falls. Why is he having reoccurring falls?

He's getting short of breath as well. Has something changed?

Has he potentially got a water infection?

I feel that should be 6.7.

Alan's blood oxygen levels are worryingly low.

Every second counts, but he's fragile and needs lifting carefully.

BOTH: One, two, three.

Sit yourself down there.

How was that?

You haven't got to worry at all, OK?

Not to worry. They're used to doing it, darling.

There we go. That's it.

Karen doesn't want to be separated from her dad.

She's coming to the hospital too.

Julie can see a family struggling to cope.

She wants to do something about it.

-Things are getting a bit difficult now.

-Yeah.

Yeah, and so ideally you'd like a little bit of help, wouldn't you?

-Are you in agreement, Alan?

-Definitely.

-OK.

-He's had two falls in two days, hasn't he?

-Yeah.

You know, and we want him to be safe.

How old is Karen?

She'll be 49 in December.

Really? Goodness me, that's surprised me.

No, why would they take you away?

There's absolutely no reason why they'd take you away.

She's already planning for her 50th.

Is she?

We're trying to get some help for your mum and your dad

because they are getting a little bit older.

-Alan, are you comfortable?

-Yes, thank you.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

..To make sure that you all are looked after and cared for.

That's what we want.

When they reach hospital, Julie hands over to the sister in charge.

Alan's in safe hands.

Look after yourself.

Don't go falling again.

-Thank you.

-OK, then.

Back in the ambulance, Julie's making what's called

a safeguarding referral to arrange more social care for the family.

She thinks there's more to being a paramedic than just immediate care.

Within a short space of time,

somebody will go and visit them and start

to put a care plan in process before anything disastrous happens.

Before she leaves, Julie checks Karen is more settled.

- OK, Karen? - Yes, thanks.

- Did you enjoy your drive? - Yes, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-Thanks a lot.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Julie became a paramedic to make a difference.

By getting this family help, she's done just that.

I think they were a very brave family

that were trying their best to cope

in an almost impossible situation.

They're certainly in a much better frame of mind than when we arrived

and I think the outcome was good.

The drunk driver Andy arrested

was disqualified for 12 months and fined £250.

Julie's first patient, Betty,

spent a week in hospital receiving treatment.

She's now home and feeling much better.

The driver of the crashed car spent six weeks in intensive care

before being discharged from hospital.

He's on the road to recovery.

And Alan is now much improved.

Thanks to Julie,

he, Joyce and Karen are receiving more help from care workers.

Next time, rookie paramedic Ben is faced with the kind of job

even experienced colleagues dread -

a seriously ill child.

I've got a nine-month-old baby boy. So far today he's had ten fits.

Fire recruit Ian is sent into a burning building

to search for casualties.

And police special Amber investigates a serious assault,

but the teenage victim is too scared to identify his attackers.

-Be honest with me, what's happened?

-I fell over.

You didn't fall over, cos I've heard that someone's assaulted you.