Episode 9 First Time on the Front Line

Britain's next generation of emergency service recruits,

chosen from a pool of thousands.

Rookies like Brendan who quit his job in marketing.

Can he make it as a firefighter?

It's a nervous time really,

to know whether I've made the right decision.

And university graduate Sam, after years of training,

finally embarking on his dream career.

I feel proud to call myself a paramedic.

I really feel I've earned the tabs on my shoulders.

Beccy's desperate to be a police special,

but will tough tests and nerves stand in her way?

I think we're all feeling very nervous

because we all want to get out there to start our policing careers.

They've survived months of intensive training...

-ALL: Get back!

-I'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 can feel actually, yeah, I've made a difference in someone's life today.

Join them for their First Time On The Front Line.

In today's programme, the teaching's over.

It's time for rookie firefighter Brendan to tackle a real emergency.

Hello! Fire Service!

The clock ticks for new paramedic Sam

and a patient needing life-saving treatment.

We're going to raise your legs to see if we can raise your blood pressure.

And the chase is on as police special Beccy tracks down a gang of suspected burglars.

See if you can get through the gap.

I'm not too sure, I might have to jump over.

In Birmingham, a new shift and a new career

for one 30-year-old.

How did that feel? Different?

Brendan Houston spent six years in a well-paid marketing job

but then he decided to swap his suit for a firefighter uniform.

I felt that I could do something that was a little bit more rewarding

for myself and give something back.

Making the change wasn't easy.

There were over 5,000 applicants for jobs with the West Midlands Service.

Come on, move it along. Number one!

Brendan was one of only 50 selected.

It's something I've wanted to do for a long time.

I think every young boy grows up wanting to be a fireman,

a hero...heroic side of things.

Then there was intensive training to get through.

When you're moving around, you do it like this. Like when you were a kid.

During the eight-week programme,

Brendan and his fellow trainees had to master rescue equipment...

You're trying to get it to tear down the wheel arch.

..learn how to use breathing apparatus...

The temperature downstairs rose very, very rapidly, didn't it?

..and fight fires.

The actual recruitment process and the training here

is tough because our lives are going to be in danger

and you have to be able to take on board information and act upon it.

But lessons don't end when firefighters leave the academy.

Today, Brendan's shift begins with a firefighting exercise.

First, a briefing from his instructor.

They'll do a door entry, they'll make safe progress through,

find the fire compartment...

Brendan's seniors will observe the new recruit closely today.

He's on 12 months' probation and needs to impress.

Take control of the fire, make a vent.

That's where the fans are. That's your positive pressure.

He's about to work in 600 degree heat -

scorching temperatures in low visibility conditions.

A thorough check of all the kit is essential.

Brendan and the crew will face real flames and real smoke.

The crew follow their training to the letter.

Failure to test a hose before entering a building

can mean the difference between life and death.

Once inside, Brendan must drag the heavy hose up three flights

of stairs while already weighed down with breathing apparatus.

He must control his breathing in order to preserve his air supply.

When he finds the blaze, Brendan directs a jet of water at the base.

Soon he brings the fire under control.

But combating the flames is only one challenge -

in house fires, more people are killed by smoke.

Just two breaths of toxic fumes can render you unconscious

so Brendan and his crew mates use powerful ventilation fans

to blow the smoke out of the building as quickly as possible.

The exercise is over. The rookie's risen to the challenge.

Brendan had the difficult job of dragging all that hose reel up.

We got to the fire room and I told Brendan as soon as we got control,

get that vent open. It was quite a good performance.

Brendan's yet to respond to his first real fire.

Training likes this ensures he's ready.

You don't know how you'll react in that situation

but I'm confident in myself that once the real thing comes, I'll be able to react to it and hopefully

do some good in someone's life if they should need it.

One raw recruit who has dealt with genuine emergencies -

paramedic Sam du Plessis Grimson.

He's already treated a baby with a paracetamol overdose

and a boy suffering a severe allergic reaction.

Today he's on shift with his supervising mentor

for the first time.

It's just weeks since Sam graduated with a degree in paramedic science

and passed the tough selection process

to join the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

-Congratulations.

-Ah, brilliant, thank you so much.

And active duty is also a real education.

Every day is a school day in this job.

I feel like I've got the skills

and the knowledge to be able to deal with

almost any situation which is put in front of me.

Sam's first shifts have been full of challenges.

But with each emergency, his confidence has been growing.

I feel like I've earned these tabs on my shoulders

and I feel proud to call myself a paramedic.

Today, Sam's partnered with supervisor Mark Mearns.

They'll work as colleagues but Mark will monitor his every move.

New recruits are on probation for six months.

They're normally more experienced paramedics

who've done a mentoring course and they come out with us

from time to time to see how we're doing,

to see if we're providing the right care for the patient.

The shift's only minutes old when the crew is called into action.

It's a red two call.

A red call signals an immediate threat to life.

They need to get to the patient fast.

So we've got a female of 64 years who's having a stroke.

That's all the information we've got at the moment.

It came through four minutes ago.

One in five strokes is fatal.

The longer the delay in treatment, the greater the likelihood of death.

It's that block of flats directly in front of us there

is where we're going.

Sam's skilled driving means they arrive just seconds

after a rapid response paramedic.

The patient is 64-year-old Catherine.

She's recently experienced a number of mini-strokes

and this morning her husband Maurice thinks she's suffering another.

Yeah, I can see, sweetheart.

Let me do some tests. We'll see what we're looking at.

Catherine's slurred speech

and the droop on one side of her face do indicate the worst.

The rapid responder, who's attended to her previously, takes the lead.

I've seen this lady a couple of times.

Sam assists by running tests.

And they confirm everyone's fears.

Cath, sweetheart,

it looks like you've had another little stroke, OK?

It might be a mini one but we need to see the doctor first to get it all sorted.

There's no way around that.

The stroke means Catherine's brain isn't receiving sufficient blood.

She has got a history of what they call transient ischaemic attacks

or mini-strokes, where you have a bit of facial or arm weakness

and then you recover, but as she hasn't recovered at this point,

we're going to treat her for the worst, as always,

and alert her into Heartlands as a stroke patient.

However, despite her condition, she suddenly recognises Sam.

Four years ago, he treated her while he was a student.

Have you, my love?

It's a hopeful sign.

It suggests Catherine's memory

hasn't been impaired and her latest stroke isn't severe.

Was it here? I recognise the dolphins

cos my sister's actually got a tattoo that looks like that clock.

However, even mini-strokes are serious.

5% rapidly lead to more severe life-threatening strokes.

The crew need to get Catherine to hospital quickly.

Right, do a little dance.

As a student, Sam worked hard to build up a warm relationship with his patients.

It's clear he made a lasting impression on Catherine.

When I first met Sam,

he was a student

and I said to him from that day he'd pass his paramedics.

It's good to see you. Thank you, my love, thank you.

You're welcome, son.

I like seeing patients when I was a student and sort of saying,

"Look! I made it!" So that's always nice.

-He's turned out a good-looking lad.

-Thank you, my love.

Putting patients at ease is an essential skill for paramedics.

It comes easily to Sam.

Soon they reach A&E, where Catherine can rapidly get treatment,

improving her chances of a positive outcome.

Mark is impressed with Sam's start to his fledgling career.

Sam certainly seems to be one of our stronger

new paramedics and certainly the way he has performed

so far today shows a lot of promise.

Helping people like Catherine is one of the reasons Sam

wanted to become a paramedic.

It's nice seeing people as a... it's kind of a full circle

when you see them as a student and as a paramedic.

She was lovely, invited me around for tea and everything,

so it's always nice to get people who want to see you.

Yeah, great part of the job.

Last year over 20,000 people gave up their free time

to volunteer as special police officers.

Get down, get down, get down!

They have the same powers as regular police,

are highly trained and well-equipped to fight crime.

ALL: Get back!

They each sacrifice at least 200 hours a year to help

keep their communities safe

and Beccy Purcell hopes to join them.

The Cheshire police specials training programme

has reached its climax.

These potential new recruits must pass today's role plays

before being cleared to go on duty.

Assessment day today.

You can smile, enjoy your day.

29-year-old Beccy is a government contract manager.

She's dreamed of becoming a volunteer police officer for years.

I've done a lot of voluntary work

and charity work in the past and it seemed like a great thing to be involved in.

The public look to us as a sign of safety

and you know we're going to protect them

so I guess that whole level of authority is quite appealing.

If Beccy passes today, she'll be on duty within a week.

I think we're all feeling very nervous.

It's one of those...I couldn't eat breakfast this morning

It's all worth it because we all want to get out there,

we want to be operational and we want to be able to start our policing careers.

Beccy's role play's about to start and her nerves are frayed.

She's shaking so badly, she can't do up her jacket.

Can you give me a hand with my zip? I can't see anything.

SHE GIGGLES Small technical hitch.

As she struggles with her kit,

the other applicants start their assessments,

with fellow rookies acting as suspects.

-Do you have anything on you at all that could harm me or yourself?

-No.

If they don't impress today, 20 days of training could go to waste.

Sometimes you have to act quickly in taking somebody's liberty.

After her false start, Beccy's now good to go.

She's been told a man is acting suspiciously in a car park.

Sorry, can I just stop you for a second?

Would you step away from the car to over here?

Beccy and partner Naomi must do everything by the book.

They separate, making it hard for a violent individual

to attack them both at the same time.

Can I just ask what you're doing today in the car park?

-Yeah, I'm looking for my dog.

-You're looking for your dog?

-Yes.

-So how long has your dog been missing?

-Ten minutes or so.

Because the man was acting suspiciously,

Beccy has the legal power to stop and search him.

But she must follow the correct procedure.

We are going to do a stop and search and that's just to make sure

you aren't carrying anything that might incriminate you.

How can you search me when I'm looking for my dog?

Searching suspects is dangerous and must be done with care.

They could be carrying syringes or, as in this case,

a knife hidden in the suspect's sock.

Possession of a three inch folding blade is legal.

The rookies' knowledge of the law is about to be tested.

-Is it three-inch?

-No, it does lock.

-It locks in place?

Because this knife blade locks, it is against the law to carry it.

Unfortunately, sir, that is a bladed weapon that you're not

allowed to carry in public. It is an offence to do so.

For that reason I am now going to place you under arrest.

Again, correct procedure is all-important.

Failure to get the wording of the arrest exactly right

means a prosecution could be jeopardised.

OK, I'm placing you under arrest for possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.

The...erm...you do not have to say anything

but it may harm your defence if you do not mention

when questioned something which you later rely on in court.

-Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?

-Yes.

The role play is over.

After all her hours training and studying,

Beccy's about to find out if she's passed

and can wear a police uniform for real.

I liked how quite assertive you were.

Real good verbals - "I'm arresting you for this."

Cautioned, cuffed. Brilliant, job done.

When the pressure was on, Beccy's nerves vanished.

She proved today she has what it takes.

I'm quite excited about this now -

this is where it's all been leading to, so let's go out and do it.

A week on and Beccy gets the opportunity she's been craving.

She's on an induction shift, where a batch of new specials

go on patrol with a special inspector.

Tonight it's Mark Weeks.

Within minutes, they receive an emergency call.

We've just had a report that there's a disturbance at a pub.

Police have been called but no information passed,

so we don't know what's going on.

On arrival, they're told there's been a fight between a man and a woman.

As a colleague interviews the man, Beccy takes a witness away from the scene for questioning.

Come and stand round here.

If you're round the corner, you'll be fine.

What's your name, love? OK. Where are you shoes?

It gives people chance to do a bit of detective work

and establish the actual cause of what's happened.

Also gives them a chance to do PNC person checks on the radio,

so gets the confidence up there

and gets them used to dealing with people

who may have had a little too much to drink.

The victim decides not to press charges,

so the witness is free to go.

Thanks, Annie. Enjoy the rest of the night.

Go and get your shoes on.

A potentially volatile situation has been diffused

and Beccy's police adventure is under way.

It's all good learning experience,

getting used to the sort of responses you might get

when you're out in public, which are vastly different from those

when you're in the safe environment of the training centres.

Beccy's first proper shift is just days away

and, once again, her nerves will be tested to the limit.

West Midlands Fire Service attends over 14,000 emergencies

a year and rookie firefighter Brendan is about to get busy.

His crew is responding to a 999 from a resident reporting

smoke fumes from a neighbour's flat.

Crew commander James Brereton will keep a close eye on

Brendan during this call out.

At the scene, the smell of smoke is obvious.

The crew must act fast.

Even a small fire can rapidly become an inferno.

There are two ground floor flats.

Brendan has to pick a door to lever open.

The chances of being right are 50-50.

Hello, it's the Fire Service!

It was the wrong one.

And the other flat's door is extremely secure.

You've got two locks to break here.

Looks like that's probably the stronger one, so go in there first.

Brendan needs to open it as quickly as possible.

People could be inside.

He doesn't find any occupants.

Hello, Fire Service!

But Brendan does find the source of the fire.

Here we are - it's an electric blanket in here.

It's what we class as a late fire.

Occupiers had a fire

with an electric blanket.

They've obviously extinguished it themselves, unplugged it

and gone off to work without telling anybody.

Household electrics are a common reason for blazes,

causing 20,000 fires every year in the UK.

It could have been a serious incident there.

You can see with all the bedding and clothing around, that could

have spread and affected the other residents.

All the bedding must be removed.

Residual heat could cause the fabric to burst into flames again.

Yeah, yeah.

It may not have been Brendan's first fire,

but it's all valuable experience.

The air now is still pretty smoky

and there's quite an acrid smell of the bed that was quite badly

scorched from the electric blanket, as well.

For all the danger, call outs like this convince Brendan

he was right to give up his secure and safe office job.

I was at a crossroads in my life where I could have

stuck with the role that I had or twisted

and tried something new

and, for me, it's a nervous time, really,

to know whether I've made the right decision -

so far, I think I have.

Everything seems to be hard work but

good fun when you get home and think about it.

Another new recruit enjoying hard work with

the emergency services is paramedic Sam.

On this shift, he's with experienced crew member Martin Cummins.

A GP has asked them to take an ill patient to hospital -

a seemingly routine call.

We've got a 73-year-old male.

It's come through as breathing difficulties.

GP is querying bronchitis or querying pneumonia.

We've just arrived at the property now,

so we'll go in and make our assessment.

But the paramedics soon discover

the case is much more serious than expected.

The patient, 73-year-old Michael,

has become critically ill since the GP saw him.

Morning. How are we doing today?

He has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -

a condition that kills over 25,000 people in the UK every year.

OK, just to start to do a few bits and pieces on you,

like your blood pressure and everything like that, all right?

Sam needs to get a full medical history,

but his patient's too ill to talk,

so he looks to get information from Michael's wife, Caroline.

I noticed he was having a hard time getting out of bed this morning.

He was decorating all day yesterday.

What, here?

Yes, painting all the doors and everything.

Oh, he's been doing the sanding and stuff.

Oh, might have irritated his lungs a bit, as well.

-You can tell from his eyes he's not quite...

-Yeah.

He has got a very high temperature.

Michael's condition continues to deteriorate.

Do you know what year it is?

No, I'm very confused.

All right, not to worry.

He clearly needs urgent hospital care.

Once inside the ambulance,

Michael's condition worsens again.

His blood pressure has plummeted

and his heart rate is too fast.

He also has a high temperature.

That could be a sign of sepsis -

a life-threatening condition

where the body overreacts to an infection.

Going to raise your legs up,

just to see if we can raise blood pressure first, OK?

And then we'll get on the move then, all right?

Sam's training stressed the importance of staying calm

even in the most critical situation.

Seems... What would appear to be a fairly severe chest infection.

He's definitely dehydrated.

Martin's popped a line in,

which means he'll have some fluids, make him feel a bit

better and raise his blood pressure and let the hospital know.

Working in tandem,

the paramedics try to stabilise Michael's condition.

I'm going to give you some fluids,

get your blood pressure up a bit.

Then it's blue lights on and off to hospital.

Just a few weeks ago, Sam learnt how to drive

under blue light conditions.

That training could make all the difference

to this patient's outcome.

We're not far now, about two, three minutes away from the hospital.

Now they've reached A&E,

doctors will administer the life-saving treatment Michael needs.

Another shift is over.

Sam's now been a paramedic for a month

and thinks he's finding his feet.

I was quite terrified when I first started

and that's sort of gone away and now I'm able to use

my skills, everything I've learned.

I'm getting into the job and settling into it.

In Warrington, it's another big moment for Rookie Special Beccy -

the start of her 18-month probation period.

Pleased to be here now and doing a day shift and being out there,

you know, creating a police presence during the day

but now I'm trying to remember all my learnings,

everything that I've had over the last few months, my training.

New Specials are observed by constable tutors

and today Beccy's mentor is PC Richard Whitehead.

Once on patrol, he's keen to teach her about the local patch

and the local criminals.

He got caught and admitted to doing a shed burglary.

Beccy's guided tour comes to a sudden halt.

She's about to experience her first blue light shout.

It's not often police officers get the chance

to catch thieves red-handed.

But today they could be in luck.

See if you can get through the gap. I'm not too sure.

I might have to jump over.

The suspects are spotted in the distance.

Oi! Here, now!

Because the officers were nearby when the call came in,

they haven't had time to escape.

What's your name, mate?

Beccy now gets the chance to make her first arrest.

She needs to get the wording exactly right.

But will the nerves

she experienced during her training strike once more?

What we are going to do is arrest you on suspicion of burglary.

You don't have to say anything but anything you do say may be

taken as evidence and used against you...

sorry, may harm your defence if you don't mention

when questioned something you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be taken down as evidence and used against you.

We're going to arrest you on suspicion,

that's just the necessity...the necessity for that is to make sure

we can protect any property that's around here and we can get some

statements from you and understand exactly what's happened.

Do you all understand?

Beccy may have stumbled in parts but she managed to correct herself.

The arrest was legally sound.

Before they're taken into custody, Beccy needs to perform

a thorough search.

This time it's no role play.

You've not got anything on you that's sharp that may hurt you or me?

-What's in your pockets, mate?

-A hat.

-A hat.

Beccy conducts the search like a seasoned veteran and isn't

intimidated by the suspects not wanting to come quietly.

Seriously, just calm down, we'll get you in the car.

I don't want to go. Why are you taking me?

We've explained why we're taking you so save it for interview.

-I've not done anything wrong.

-In. Watch your head.

Most Specials have to wait months before their first arrest.

For Beccy, it's a different story.

First arrest, first search. I think it's...a bit of a rush!

The officers head off to book the suspects into custody.

Richard's impressed with how his protege performed under pressure.

It's a massive thing, your first arrest.

Once that's under your belt, it's plain sailing from there on.

I felt confident in her being there, I felt confident

in the fact that she knew what she was doing and obviously at the scene

maybe had a bit of a wobble with the caution

but she soon pulled that back from there.

It was really important to go back and correct myself

but I will be reciting it again in my sleep tonight

to make sure I definitely know it inside and out!

Sam's patient, Michael, was treated for pneumonia

and spent four days in hospital before returning home.

The burglary suspects Beccy arrested at the school have

been given formal police cautions.

Catherine received treatment and was prescribed

blood-thinning medication to reduce the risk of future strokes.

All being well, she won't be seeing Sam again any time soon.

Next time...

-I'm having a go because

-BLEEP...

-Stop swearing now.

..a party...

Sorry, I'm from Yorkshire.

..a fight...

I've got a bruise here.

..and a guest who's outstayed his welcome...

-I'm going.

-BLEEP.

-You're under arrest, sunshine.

-What for?

-Drunk and disorderly.

..danger on the hard-shoulder -

Maya braves motorway traffic to find the cause of a driver's illness...

That scar there. What's that from? What is that from?

..and emergency at altitude...

I can see somebody just 200 metres.

..Tom joins the rescue operation as an elderly walker

is injured on the mountainside.

Ready, brace, lift.