0:00:02 > 0:00:04If you can hear me but can't speak, could you tap on the phone?
0:00:04 > 0:00:0864 million people, 365 days...
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and 31 million calls to 999.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12SIREN WAILS
0:00:12 > 0:00:16That's the scale of the task faced by Britain's emergency teams.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18And for one exceptional year,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21we'll be following their front-line workers.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Not just our police, our firefighters and our paramedics,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29we've been with our other critical emergency teams as well,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33teams we rely on sometimes without ever noticing.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36The specialist teams that keep our railways moving
0:00:36 > 0:00:39despite the dreaded "leaves on the line."
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Notting Hill binmen with just seven hours to clean up
0:00:45 > 0:00:47after our liveliest carnival.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54National Grid controllers responsible for powering 20 million homes
0:00:54 > 0:00:5624 hours a day.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58DOGS BARK
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The Greater Manchester Police Dog Unit
0:01:00 > 0:01:04controlling 75,000 fans at the height of the football season.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05CROWD CHANTS
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Lifeboat crews at Britain's busiest station
0:01:11 > 0:01:13with just 90 seconds to respond.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We'll show you how these specialist teams work under pressure
0:01:19 > 0:01:24to protect us from danger on their most demanding days.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28This is the story of one year with our emergency teams.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31A year with the heroes keeping Britain safe.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'All right. OK, we've just had a call from Sunderland.'
0:01:34 > 0:01:36OVERLAPPING VOICES
0:01:36 > 0:01:37'Fire brigade.'
0:01:37 > 0:01:39OVERLAPPING VOICES
0:01:43 > 0:01:47It's winter...the most extreme season of the year.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And winter can throw up some severe conditions
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and some of the biggest challenges for our emergency services.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59So tonight, Julia meets the paramedics
0:01:59 > 0:02:02of the Scottish Ambulance Service...
0:02:05 > 0:02:09..dealing with the biggest New Year street party in Britain
0:02:09 > 0:02:10CHEERING
0:02:10 > 0:02:12What's happening? What's happening?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Matt rides along with the crew of the busiest lifeboat in the country.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And experiences what the water can do to you in winter.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Oh, that's very cold!
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And we're with the teams who keep the roads moving
0:02:26 > 0:02:30through the cold and darkness of the most extreme season of the year.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Britain...64 million of us.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44But to get a sense of how our population is spread...look at this.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47These population clusters show
0:02:47 > 0:02:50just how densely we're packed in the South East.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And so too are the emergency services.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Here in central London, there are 14 A&E departments in a 10-mile radius.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03But up in the Scottish Highlands, there are areas of total wilderness.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09There are only 18 A&E departments to cover 15,000 square miles.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14So what do you do if you have an emergency here?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Picking up the pieces in Britain's most extreme wilderness
0:03:23 > 0:03:26are the military Search and Rescue squadrons.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And winter is their most testing time of year.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I've come to RAF Lossiemouth in the north of Scotland.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Temperatures here in the mountains fall as low as -27 degrees.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47So having the right gear is essential.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Hello, hello. Harry?- Hi.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56- Julia, nice to see you.- You have some underwear. A pair of socks.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Lovely. Look at those, my colour. I like those.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Base layer.- It's a onesie! - It's a onesie.- Brilliant!
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I liked the onesie, but you've excelled yourself, I love this.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Now put your boots on. Cold-weather jacket, cold-weather trousers.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12With survival, it's making sure that you're comfortable
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and, ultimately, that you can get out of the aircraft in a hurry.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- So, again, it's a matter of bending, stretching.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- All the same sort of things. - No restrictions. All good.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- Yeah.- I have broken a nail, though. - Oh.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Across the country, the RAF and Royal Navy have eight bases
0:04:33 > 0:04:37using iconic Sea King helicopters for search-and-rescue operations.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43When this nine tonne yellow beauty takes to the skies,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46a team of pilots, navigators, radar operatives
0:04:46 > 0:04:48head out to save your life.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Ultimately, it all depends on the team
0:04:51 > 0:04:54successfully manoeuvring one person, the winchman,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57who's hanging out of the helicopter on this hook.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03It's got to be one of the most daunting jobs
0:05:03 > 0:05:04in the emergency services...
0:05:06 > 0:05:08..to be dangled out of a moving helicopter
0:05:08 > 0:05:11on a metal wire as thin as a pencil.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14This is my lifeline, my umbilical cord.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16My life depends on this.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The cable's checked all the time.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22We check it before and after each flight.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27The whole cable's run out. There's 245 foot of stainless-steel cable.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It's cared for...and looked after.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The RAF have 30 winchmen across Britain
0:05:41 > 0:05:46and they train every day to be ready for even the most extreme rescues.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Today, they're taking me along for a small taste of what they do.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58The weather conditions are pretty harsh today.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03Look at that...driving sleet and snow.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Now imagine it's night time, pitch black, you can't see anything,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10you open the door, there's 3,000 feet beneath you,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and you're hovering next to the highest mountain in Britain.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Rescue 137, one of Lossiemouth's two Sea Kings, has been scrambled.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28HELICOPTER COMMS CRACKLE
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'And the whole of Castle Ridge is clear.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It's 5.30 in the evening.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Darkness is starting to envelop the Scottish mountains.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Two climbers are reported to be clinging onto a sheer rock face,
0:06:45 > 0:06:483,000 feet up on Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'Four o'clock, three-quarters of the way up the hill.'
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- 'Got 'em on camera.- Roger.'
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The two climbers are experienced mountaineers,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00but they've gone off-route
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and have become stuck on the vertical rock face.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05They've used a mobile phone to call for help.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- '..the snow gully behind?- Yeah.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- 'OK, they're just about in the middle of that.- Copy.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Working off night vision in the gloom,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17the crew assess the scene using the helicopter's infrared camera.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'I'll just give Duncan time to have a think about this.'
0:07:20 > 0:07:23One of the climbers is in a fairly secure position,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27but the climber on the left appears more precarious.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- 'Roger.- Right, Nick, in you go.'
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- 'This might not be as simple as we think it is.- Yeah.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:39The overhang of the rock above them
0:07:39 > 0:07:42makes it even more challenging for the helicopter
0:07:42 > 0:07:45to manoeuvre winchman, Duncan Tripp, into position.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- 'Come up a further ten, please. - Sure.'
0:07:48 > 0:07:51'Steady. Height is good. Tips are well clear.'
0:07:51 > 0:07:54'Steady. Duncan is on the ledge. Steady.'
0:07:54 > 0:07:57'Left and forward. Steady. We've got an overhang.'
0:07:57 > 0:08:01'We've got an overhang, Duncan. Left one and back.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:06If the cable snags, it could bring down the whole helicopter.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11When I'm being winched out 2,500-3,000 feet up,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15you're trying to focus on the job and not look down.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18'Move left two. Height is good.'
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'Left one. Steady. Steady.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I think it would be arrogant of me to say that you're not scared.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30It's a tricky hover for the pilot.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The extreme weather conditions mean they can't keep the helicopter
0:08:33 > 0:08:37in this precarious position for long without risking everyone's life.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39'Height is good.'
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Duncan decides to take both men up with him on the same lift.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The maximum tolerance of the winch is 600lb.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Three men plus their equipment is pushing the winch to its very limit.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56'Duncan's indicating winch in. Height is good.'
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Lifting three people is not normal and it's only done in extremis.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02And this was one of those kind of situations
0:09:02 > 0:09:06where we couldn't afford to leave any of the guys behind.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10'Steady. Clear. Left...three.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- 'You've cleared the hill. - You're clear left.'
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'I have 120 feet of cable to run.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'The hoist is motoring.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:23'100 feet of cable to run.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'Dampen what little swing there is.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:28'Height is good. 30 feet to the door.'
0:09:28 > 0:09:31'Height is good. Getting a little bit of swing.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:33'Ten feet to the door.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:37They would have struggled to get themselves out of that situation.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39They were very, very pleased to see us.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- 'Stop. Stop to crew.- Crew. - Clear to go.'
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'Good. Fantastic!'
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It takes a certain type of person to do this job.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51I think it makes you appreciate life a little bit more as well.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I think it makes you appreciate how vulnerable we are.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- 'That was interesting, wasn't it? - Yeah.'
0:09:56 > 0:09:58'Jobs there are never straightforward.'
0:09:58 > 0:09:59'What shall we do now?'
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Later in the programme, we'll be back at RAF Lossiemouth,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12to see how the squadron deals with avalanche season.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30From the mountains of northern Scotland
0:10:30 > 0:10:32to the largest city in Britain.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38There are 236 RNLI lifeboat stations in Britain,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42but here's a question for you - which one is the busiest?
0:10:42 > 0:10:45You may be thinking it's the one that serves the Solent,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49or maybe the one in Blackpool, or maybe even the one in Aberdeen.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51But then you'd be wrong.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56It's in fact the one that serves this 17-mile stretch of the Thames
0:10:56 > 0:10:59that passes straight through the heart of London.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04And this station is the busiest because the River Thames
0:11:04 > 0:11:07flows through one of the biggest cities in the world.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12If someone falls in during the cold winter months, it can be deadly.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Chris Walker, one of the RNLI's 4,600 crew members,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22explains to me why they have to launch so fast.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25At our station, instead of like a conventional lifeboat station
0:11:25 > 0:11:27where people respond to a pager,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29we have crew based at the station for 12-hour shifts,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32which means when the bells go down,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34our response time is less than 90 seconds.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- You must be an expert at pulling your trousers on?- Yeah.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The advantage that you've got here
0:11:39 > 0:11:41over pretty much any other mode of transport
0:11:41 > 0:11:43is the huge speed that you've got.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- Absolutely.- What are we talking about?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48She averages about 40 knots.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51That's almost 50mph.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55It makes the RNLI one of the fastest things on the water here.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And when someone falls in, that's exactly what they need to be.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Seen something that's caught our attention.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04We're just going to go back and take a look, OK?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Just looks like the shoulders of a body.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It's blue we're looking at...just coming through the number one arch.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- It just looks like the shoulders, doesn't it?- Yeah. Just there.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Is it rubbish? I bet it's a rubbish bag. Plastic.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30We are overdue someone.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So someone went into the river about 12 days ago
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and the body hasn't been recovered.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37So while we're out training, we're always on the lookout
0:12:37 > 0:12:40for anything like that, because that presents itself
0:12:40 > 0:12:42very much how a body would be in the water,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44with just part of the shoulder at the surface.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50What's it like in there? Have you been in?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Yeah. It's not pleasant.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54You're looking at no more than half an hour.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- Right now?- Yeah. It is a particularly cold day.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The first three minutes are going to be the worst time for you.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02As soon as you enter the water, you get a thing called cold shock,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06that...uncontrollable gasp of air,
0:13:06 > 0:13:07your breathing rate increases rapidly,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09your heart rate increases rapidly.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13And for a large proportion of people that die in that first 0-3 minutes,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15it's because of a heart attack or an incapacitating stroke.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Just because of the shock? - Purely because of that difference.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24To see the effects of cold water
0:13:24 > 0:13:28on a relatively fit and healthy specimen,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I've come here to a lab in Portsmouth
0:13:30 > 0:13:33to experience what it's like to be a man overboard.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Do you know what your resting heart rate normally is when you're...?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38This morning it was 69.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43OK. That's OK. We've only managed to add about 14 or 15 beats...
0:13:43 > 0:13:44MATT LAUGHS
0:13:44 > 0:13:46..to that at the moment.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit anxious.- No. No.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This water is at 12 degrees,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54the average temperature of the River Thames.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Now, that might not sound too cold, but have a look at this.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- We're going to do just a three-minute immersion.- OK.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02So that will give us the full idea
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- of what the cold-shock response is about.- OK.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And then at the end of that three-minute immersion,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11we'll ask you just to put your face into the water
0:14:11 > 0:14:13for about ten seconds.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19In five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21WINCH WHIRRS
0:14:26 > 0:14:28HE GROANS
0:14:28 > 0:14:31That's very cold!
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Well done, Matt, stick with it. Stick with it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- HE GASPS - Stick with it. That's excellent.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38That's good. That's pretty well controlled, that's good.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40That's good.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42MONITOR BEEPS
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- God!- It's peaked now. It peaks in the first 30 seconds, Matt.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And it should start easing off a little bit.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Starting to be able to catch my breath now.- Yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I don't think I can move my hands, not in any meaningful way.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01- Yeah.- But I've now just about got control of my breath.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I can start to feel my fingers and my toes.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Just...I can just about move them.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12God, though, my arms are killing me!
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Your problem would have been that... had you in that first few seconds,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18if you hadn't been lowered into the water,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20gone plummeting into it
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and gone maybe a metre or so under it...
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- Yeah.- ..you've then got to hold your breath
0:15:24 > 0:15:26till you get back to the surface.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27MATT GASPS
0:15:27 > 0:15:32So that'll be three minutes in... three, two, one. That's now.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- OK, face in now? - Yep, when you're ready.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41When we enter cold water, adrenaline makes our heart rate increase,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45but when our face enters the water the body has a different response,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49slowing our heart rate in an attempt to conserve oxygen.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It's thought these two different reactions
0:15:52 > 0:15:56can create a conflict in the body, placing a strain on the heart.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03That's great. Well done. And we're going to come out.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The first...10 or 20 seconds in there...
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Is horrible.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14I mean, that's still water.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19if you can imagine that being... being the sea,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23you could easily take down a litre of water,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26because there's no way you could control your breathing at all.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And there it was flat water and I was up to my neck and I was in no...
0:16:30 > 0:16:31God!
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Come and have a warm bath.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37I mean, the irony is, it's only just the very shell of you that's cold,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- but we'll still give you a bath. - Ohh!
0:16:40 > 0:16:41MATT SIGHS
0:16:41 > 0:16:44No adverse reaction at all?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It almost makes it worthwhile.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47Ohh!
0:16:52 > 0:16:54When you went in the water,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00your heart rate went up to 119...120 beats per minute there,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03but importantly, at the same time,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05you reduced blood flow to the periphery,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07you increased the amount of blood in the centre of the body,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and your blood pressure goes up.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13So that's where somebody who has already got blood pressure,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17has got cardiovascular disease, has an aneurysm, maybe,
0:17:17 > 0:17:18that's really dangerous.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- Thank you very much. It's been a real experience.- And well done.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- And I feel brilliant now. - Yes, of course you do.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It's because cold-water shock can be so debilitating
0:17:29 > 0:17:32that this water is potentially deadly.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And so later on, we'll be with the RNLI crew here on the Thames,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42when tens of thousands of partygoers
0:17:42 > 0:17:45gather by the river to celebrate the start of 2013.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- ALL:- Four! Three! Two!
0:17:48 > 0:17:52And I'll be in Edinburgh with the Scottish Ambulance Service...
0:17:52 > 0:17:57- You've been hit by a bus.- Oh, have I?- ..for their New Year street party.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58CHEERING
0:18:04 > 0:18:06TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT
0:18:06 > 0:18:11But first, this is the moment when major transport hubs like this
0:18:11 > 0:18:13face the biggest strain of the year.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18It's Friday the 21st of December, four days before Christmas.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Above the crowd,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23banks of CCTV cameras watch over the merry travellers
0:18:23 > 0:18:26whilst throughout London's train and underground stations,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29465 British Transport Police officers
0:18:29 > 0:18:32are involved in Operation Lockstock.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36It's designed to increase the police presence
0:18:36 > 0:18:40around the capital's transport hubs during the festive period.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Love it. Absolutely love it at this time of year.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Everybody's happy, everyone's in good spirits, it's all good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- So, yeah.- Hello!
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Merry Christmas! Ho-ho!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55At stations up and down the country,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58last minute shoppers are colliding
0:18:58 > 0:19:01with office workers in the mood to party,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and people beginning to make their journey home for Christmas.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07ALL: # We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. #
0:19:08 > 0:19:12But with Britain in party mood and many a little worse for wear,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14the police have their hands full.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- You're too drunk to travel. - A bit drunk.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20You're very drunk, not a bit, you're very drunk.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22You're a lad with a sense of humour!
0:19:22 > 0:19:23OFFICER LAUGHS
0:19:23 > 0:19:26You're quite an excitable fella, aren't you?
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- Aye!- That's it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34And this becomes the story of the evening.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38And I would say you're far too drunk to be travelling on the trains.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- I would say the same, actually. - All right?- OK.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43THEY LAUGH
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Give us your hand, mate.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Wake up, mate. Police.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Fallen asleep there?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Fella, these are on the floor.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Kirsty!
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- You all right, fella?- Where are you off to now?
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm off to see...the Wizard of Oz!
0:20:01 > 0:20:02OFFICER LAUGHS
0:20:02 > 0:20:04OFFICERS LAUGH
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- Happy Christmas.- And to you. You have a good night.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- Happy days. Good luck.- Stay safe.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12People like that tend to be victims of opportunist theft.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15I can't say much more than that, really,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17he's...he just wants to get home now.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24This sort of policing is all about a friendly and reassuring presence,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26but there's another side of British law enforcement
0:20:26 > 0:20:30that these merry revellers might not want to encounter.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35There are only three cities in Britain,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38London, Manchester and Birmingham,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41where they have designated armed-response units.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43SIREN WAILS
0:20:43 > 0:20:48These teams of officers patrol in ARVs, or armed response vehicles,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and during winter, the longer nights and harsher weather
0:20:51 > 0:20:54bring their own unique set of challenges.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Yes, yes, 2-2, kill your lights.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Did you overhear the last reference? Over.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02The unit here in Birmingham was set up in 1988
0:21:02 > 0:21:05after a police officer was shot.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11More recently, they've had to respond to incidents like this,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15an armed bank robbery in the heart of the city.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- MAN:- Yeah, police, please. There's an armed robbery in progress!
0:21:20 > 0:21:22The guy's got two guns to his head!
0:21:22 > 0:21:24I'm going to have to get out of here!
0:21:26 > 0:21:28This winter sees the applicants
0:21:28 > 0:21:31for the next intake of the West Midlands' Gun Unit
0:21:31 > 0:21:34being put through their paces.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Armed police! You in front! You in front! Get out of the car now!
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- Get out of the car! - Get out of the car now!
0:21:40 > 0:21:42If they pass this ten-week course,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45they'll join the small number of officers specially trained
0:21:45 > 0:21:47to respond to the most serious
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and dangerous incidents on our streets.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51MAN HOLLERS
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And they do it with potentially lethal force.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00No sudden movements or you get tasered again!
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Get on the ground. Keep your hands there where I can see 'em.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's pretty dramatic.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09The initial impression you get from these guys
0:22:09 > 0:22:12is one of aggression, really, because of the shouting.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Get out of the vehicle! Get out of the car!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17What you see is a controlled aggression,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20it's about dominating and bringing the situation to a conclusion
0:22:20 > 0:22:22at the earliest opportunity
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- and still having that control. - He's secured!
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- He's secured!- The course tests their weapon skills,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31but, crucially, it also tests their temperament
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and decision making under extreme pressure.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Less than one in ten applicants will ultimately make the grade.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45We do have officers who fail courses because they get overexcited.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47We lose a few people during those courses
0:22:47 > 0:22:50who come to realise actually what they might have to do,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54which ultimately is to use the firearm and take a life.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57And that's...that is the last thing we ever want to do.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01- What the hell is going on?!- Bear with us. Stay where you are.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The officers who pass this course
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- will spend much of their time trying to take guns- off- the street.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10And here in a secret location,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13they have a cache of just some of the illegal weapons
0:23:13 > 0:23:17that have been seized or surrendered over a number of years.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20For Detective Chief Inspector Simon Wallis,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23this is an ongoing and critical job.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27What we can say is that through the National Ballistic Service,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30they assess our new firearms that they believe have been used
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and are still in circulation.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34And the latest reading for the West Midlands
0:23:34 > 0:23:36would suggest there are 16 outstanding.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I suspect there's more, there's more that we don't know about
0:23:39 > 0:23:40that haven't been shot.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43SIREN WAILS
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Gun crime in the city has fallen significantly,
0:23:47 > 0:23:48but in the past year alone
0:23:48 > 0:23:52this team has still been called out to almost 1,000 incidents,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55from armed robberies to hostage situations.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58For the officers involved, it's a tough job.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The pressures that you have is that you've got a lethal weapon
0:24:01 > 0:24:05and at any time, you may need to use that lethal weapon.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07POLICE RADIO CRACKLES
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The first job that I pointed a gun at a driver in a car,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15he froze...stares at me and does nothing.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And I'm trying to get him to open that car door.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It's that few seconds that you've got
0:24:21 > 0:24:23where you've got complete control over that person.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Does that match the description?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Deciding when they're deployed
0:24:27 > 0:24:31is a responsibility that falls on contact-centre supervisors...
0:24:31 > 0:24:36- Police. Emergency? - ..based in the 999 call centre.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37Is there any weapons or anything?
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Today's supervisor is Inspector Gill Munslow.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43She bears the burden of responsibility
0:24:43 > 0:24:48to decide when to despatch the armed response unit to a major incident.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Why would you want this job? It seems incredibly stressful.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- This is the best job in the force. - Why is this job the best job?
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Because of the responsibility I've got. I enjoy the intenseness of it,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I enjoy the demand. I could be sitting here and all of a sudden...
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Yesterday, I had two firearms incidents simultaneously,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19one end of the force dealing with both firearms incidents.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20Erm...I've had occasions
0:25:20 > 0:25:23where I've had a kidnap come in at the same time, and then a pursuit.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26One Monday night in mid-last year,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I had to deploy them eight times.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Eight separate incidents.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34There were some really good results from some of those,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36where they were armed robberies and we actually detained
0:25:36 > 0:25:40two suspects separately and recovered firearms.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47The police have just received a tip-off that links a firearm
0:25:47 > 0:25:50to a car that's been spotted in the city.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Armed officers Matt Rowe and Aaron Carr are despatched.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It could be a chance to seize one of 16 guns
0:25:57 > 0:26:01that they know are unaccounted for out on the street.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Whisky-Victor, we've located the vehicle.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It's unattended at the moment.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09We'll be going into containment around the vehicle.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Matt and Aaron sit tight and observe the car from a distance.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Two other armed vehicles are also in position,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18waiting for the owner to return.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Stand still! Stand still!
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Get down on the ground now!
0:26:34 > 0:26:36You! On the floor!
0:26:37 > 0:26:38He's secure.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42MAN GROANS
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I'm going to roll you up onto your arse.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- What's all this about?- Stay there. - Pulling guns on people?!
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Listen... Listen! You asked me what's going on,
0:26:51 > 0:26:52I'm going to tell you!
0:26:52 > 0:26:56We've had information to suggest there may be a firearm
0:26:56 > 0:26:58or somebody with a firearm in that car.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- You get it now, yeah?- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05There was no firearm hidden in the vehicle.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09But the police believe the stop and search has given them a lead,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12which may help to locate another illegal weapon.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15We've got the car that we was after.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Although we didn't get the person that we was after,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21it's all good intelligence linking those two guys together
0:27:21 > 0:27:23at that time in that vehicle.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26So, yeah, it was a good stop, done safely.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28We still know there's guns out there,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31but I don't think you walk around Birmingham now
0:27:31 > 0:27:35and get that feeling...of being unsafe.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And we're going to keep moving forward
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and keep reducing the violence on the streets.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41POLICE RADIO CRACKLES
0:27:50 > 0:27:53For emergency services in every city,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57there's one night above all that stands out...
0:27:57 > 0:27:59New Year.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Up and down Britain, millions of us take to the streets
0:28:03 > 0:28:05to celebrate the end of the year.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09For Britain's 20,000 paramedics, it's a huge challenge.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15But the city of Edinburgh feels the pressure above all.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19Not only do they have the regular challenges that New Year brings,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23on top of that, they have to manage Britain's biggest street party.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27There are few places in the world that do New Year like Edinburgh.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30The celebration has become a three-day festival
0:28:30 > 0:28:34when tens of thousands of tourists pour into Scotland's capital.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35BAGPIPES PLAY
0:28:39 > 0:28:41DRUMMING
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Welcome to Edinburgh.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50CHEERING
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Tonight, the city's warming up with a torch-lit procession.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02Tomorrow, 75,000 people are expected to turn out onto these streets
0:29:02 > 0:29:06to celebrate the last day of the year.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09We're here to follow the work of the Scottish Ambulance Service
0:29:09 > 0:29:11to see how they cope.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16But emergency planning for this event started months ago.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19We've now got 6,400 people
0:29:19 > 0:29:23all moving towards a better viewing area.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27At Edinburgh City Council Chambers, police, ambulance and fire chiefs
0:29:27 > 0:29:29gather with event organisers
0:29:29 > 0:29:33to rehearse response scenarios for every eventuality.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38What we have potentially here is a congested/crushing incident.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Our record over the years is very good,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43but we will have probably in excess
0:29:43 > 0:29:46of 100 casualties of different types.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50A large percentage will be related to alcohol.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It's just one of the facts, people come out to celebrate
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and they'll have a drink, sometimes to excess.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Someone in the crowd somewhere shouted, "The fireworks are going off in five minutes!"
0:30:00 > 0:30:03A serious situation has developed very, very quickly
0:30:03 > 0:30:06causing Fredrick Street to become very congested.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The head of operations for the Scottish Ambulance Service
0:30:09 > 0:30:12is Paul Bassett.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15It's difficult to comprehend 75,000 people -
0:30:15 > 0:30:17so it's a massive sporting event - it's like a big rugby match
0:30:17 > 0:30:18or a big football match.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Yeah, you get the enormity of that
0:30:20 > 0:30:22and the challenge is getting to these people,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25and it's like, you know, "I'm in control of this,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27"but I don't feel like I've got total control."
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And you just systematically work through to get that back.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37OK, it's a street party. We've got a job to do.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41All over the city emergency workers are bracing themselves.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Extra staff have been brought on to cope with the party.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Before they hit the streets, Paul gives a final briefing.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Stay safe, stay warm. Make sure we're professional at all times.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Make sure what we do is effective and appropriate.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58But equally, enjoy yourselves.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Across town, monitoring the event on CCTV,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08are the members of Silver Command.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Here, leaders from all the emergency services
0:31:11 > 0:31:13are uniting in preparation for the big night.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19If there's a major emergency this evening,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23this team ensures there's a fast and coordinated response.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26In overall charge tonight is the Gold Commander,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Assistant Chief Constable Graham Sinclair.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Edinburgh being the capital city,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37we have got a big record of pulling things together
0:31:37 > 0:31:39at this joint control room.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42My job is to say, "Well, yeah, we have done it before,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45"be confident that we've done it before, but let's not be complacent,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49"because none of us have policed 2012 into 2013."
0:31:49 > 0:31:51It's almost like the swan on the water, you know?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54You've got all that activity going on under the surface.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59That's almost a nine-month process to come to this four, five hours.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01So, it's a big deal.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Later, we'll return to Edinburgh to see how our emergency teams
0:32:06 > 0:32:08get on when the party really gets going.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10And we'll also be in London with the RNLI
0:32:10 > 0:32:14patrolling the Thames on this night of celebration.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24For our emergency services to respond effectively,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28they have to be able to anticipate the worst.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Not easy, because British winters can very quickly take a turn.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Overnight tonight and into tomorrow will turn to snow for some areas
0:32:35 > 0:32:37as it hits that cold air.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40In January this year, temperatures plummeted,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42falling in places to minus 13 degrees.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47All of our emergency teams depend upon the critical judgment
0:32:47 > 0:32:51of weather forecasts to help them through this extreme season.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54These predictions rely upon satellites
0:32:54 > 0:32:56circling above us gathering vital data,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and here at the Met Office I'm meeting with Chris Tubbs,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02one of 12 Chief and Deputy Chief Forecasters,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04whose job it is to provide forecast guidance
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and issue severe weather warnings.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08I think what makes us special
0:33:08 > 0:33:11is that we are on the edge of quite a large continent,
0:33:11 > 0:33:12so sometimes we get the cold weather,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15when we get the easterly winds that cold weather comes over us,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17and we see some ice and snow.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20But it's not just the cold weather coming from the east
0:33:20 > 0:33:21that we have to deal with.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Out here, to the west, we've got a really strong low-pressure system,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28relatively warm Atlantic.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31We have the east and we have the west,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- we have two completely conflicting types of weather...- That's right.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37..trying to make up their mind who's going to win, day by day.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39So, constantly we're on that battleground
0:33:39 > 0:33:43between the mild, moist air out to the west
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and the cold, freezing air out to the east.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50It means that forecasting British weather
0:33:50 > 0:33:53is one of the most challenging jobs in the field.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56In the basement of the Met Office,
0:33:56 > 0:34:01this supercomputer processes millions of weather observations every day.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10And that data allows forecasters to issue
0:34:10 > 0:34:13in excess of 3,000 bespoke daily forecasts,
0:34:13 > 0:34:18including early warnings for our emergency service teams.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25These forecasts help planners prepare for the extremes in weather,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27at our ports and harbours...
0:34:27 > 0:34:29OK, we have stand-by.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31..our airports...
0:34:31 > 0:34:34The information we get is pretty reliable.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37..our military bases...
0:34:37 > 0:34:39You've got moderate turbulence throughout the day,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41and then some isolated severe turbulence
0:34:41 > 0:34:42towards the end of the day.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46..and the teams that keep our roads moving.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51With extreme weather predicted, councils all over Britain
0:34:51 > 0:34:55are rushing to place orders from an underground plant in Cheshire.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04220 million years ago, salt marshes in the Cheshire countryside
0:35:04 > 0:35:09deposited this extraordinary underground resource.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15It's the largest and oldest working salt mine in Britain.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It has 240 miles of open tunnel.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21And it's here that the lion's share of the salt used on our roads
0:35:21 > 0:35:23is extracted.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31There have been calculations done on the cost of accidents
0:35:31 > 0:35:35in the winter, and balancing that against the cost of salt.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36It would be disastrous.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38The country would grind to a standstill
0:35:38 > 0:35:40without salt to keep the roads safe.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45But that's just the beginning of this salty tale.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Britain has nearly 250,000 miles of road,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and so armies of gritter trucks are now required.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Good morning. Well, fresh snow overnight causing problems...
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Major problems on the roads across the country...
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Major problems on the A82 between Spean Bridge and Glencoe.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Today, there's snow and ice on the ground,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06so Aberdeenshire Council's 98-strong fleet of gritters is out.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Quite a bit of ice on this one.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12We'll do a little bit of spot-gritting.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22Each year, the authority uses over 40,000 tonnes of salt
0:36:22 > 0:36:24on over 3,000 miles of road.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Driver Scott Fraser is one of the council's team.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32They have to deal with the worst-affected roads in Britain...
0:36:34 > 0:36:36..including the notorious A939,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40which rises to 2,000 feet through the Cairngorm mountain range.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45It's a fantastic place to be in a snowplough.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It's exhilarating if you're the first one up.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50There hasn't been any other traffic on the road.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54There's absolutely nothing like virgin snow.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Oh, it's just such a buzz.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Once the salt has been mined,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06the chunks are then crushed down so they're small enough
0:37:06 > 0:37:10to be spread on the road and not crack your car's windscreen.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Then tonnes of it are shipped all over the country,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17and stockpiled for the winter.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19The salt lowers the freezing point of water,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22delaying the formation of ice on the road.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27But any colder than minus 9 degrees and salt has little or no effect.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32People just expect roads to be open.
0:37:32 > 0:37:374x4 drivers, they seem to think that they can go, basically, anywhere,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39because they've got 4x4.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Now, this thing that we're in just now is 6x6,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45and sometimes IT doesn't go anywhere.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50You come down, you come through the gates,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53and you're able to tell people that the road's open.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Happy smiley faces. That's what we are looking for.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03It's a great feeling to make sure
0:38:03 > 0:38:06that we're keeping the country moving.
0:38:12 > 0:38:1670 miles northwest of Aberdeen is RAF Lossiemouth,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18where the search and rescue team
0:38:18 > 0:38:21are in the middle of their most testing time of the year.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25This winter has been one of the worst for deaths from avalanches.
0:38:27 > 0:38:3121 minutes to seven. More deaths in the mountains of Scotland.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35We've had three people killed in an avalanche in the Cairngorms.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Up here, as the snow melts and refreezes,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43slippery layers are created within the snow pack,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47potentially dislodging thousands of tonnes of snow as an avalanche.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Welcome to the darkest and most deadly days of the Scottish winter.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Lossiemouth, here, is known for its Scottish winters.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01It is part of Lossiemouth's entire psyche.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07The Scottish weather tries its best to kill us on a regular basis.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12The winters here are hard, and, for us, quite dangerous.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15It's easy to get caught out in a Scottish winter.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21- PHONE RINGS - Hello, coastguard.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25It's January, and Rescue 137,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28one of Lossiemouth's two Sea King helicopters,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31is being scrambled to an avalanche.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- Yeah, 7.30 on one.- Roger.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Gentleman witnessed an avalanche,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41and the avalanche was about 200m away from him
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- and he saw four people get carried down with it.- Yes.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Just to let you know 137 is on the way.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51It can be a very hostile environment. Very, very dangerous.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54The helicopter has to be very careful.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57If they fly in straight to an area that has been avalanched
0:39:57 > 0:39:59they could trigger - if there's loose snow,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01they could trigger another one.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21On the scene already are a mountain rescue team
0:40:21 > 0:40:23who were training nearby.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27They've requested a helicopter to remove the casualties.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30I think they are at the back left, there's a group of people there.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Yeah, roger that, 137, you have probably got visual
0:40:33 > 0:40:36on the casualty site over to the west side of the corrie, over.
0:40:36 > 0:40:42On the winch today is the rookie of the flight, 25-year-old Dave Currie.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Not knowing the state of the casualties,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47we always prep for the worst case.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Steady, steady. Just come back to the hover there.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52And knowing this was an avalanche,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54we were thinking this could be quite serious.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55They could be very seriously injured.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Descending very slowly as we go.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Take my radios off, Paul, please.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04The winch itself was probably in the region of 150, 175 feet.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05And the pilots were working quite hard
0:41:05 > 0:41:08to try and maintain a good hover, given the turbulence
0:41:08 > 0:41:10that was created by the wind over the hill.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Your height is good. Your speed is good.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15In the hills, the wind is particularly unpredictable.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Trying to get an individual onto something can be quite tricky.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That starts to get a little bit tense.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24The ground is dropping away on the right-hand side,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26should be right and back with about 15 to 20 units to go.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28But if I start to sound tense in my voice,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30then that makes the pilots feel tense,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32and it just probably exacerbates the problem,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34and we end up playing conkers with the winchman
0:41:34 > 0:41:35which is not a good thing to be doing.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Reduce your speed, come back to the hover.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38Dave's safely on the ground,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41if you're happy there, Dave, I'll just let you walk down.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43The three guys were all walking together
0:41:43 > 0:41:44when the avalanche had happened.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46They were then taken about 100m down the slope
0:41:46 > 0:41:49to where they eventually came to rest,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and it was at that point I did a quick assessment
0:41:51 > 0:41:53to see how they all were.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56The casualties will be further assessed at Glenmore
0:41:56 > 0:41:59and, if necessary, transferred to Raigmore, over.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00Good call.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Winch out.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Winch out, winch out.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Although one was stretchered off the hill as a precaution,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11all three climbers escaped serious injury.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Winch out.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14Winch out.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Rescue 137, this is Kinloss rescue, roger, out.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22These climbers were extremely lucky.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Over the past five years,
0:42:24 > 0:42:2817 people have been killed by avalanches in the Scottish hills.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It is not totally out of the question that you could get injured,
0:42:34 > 0:42:39by any means. Um...but you go for it, don't you?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44We don't think of Britain as an extreme environment,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46but these airmen and women work in temperatures
0:42:46 > 0:42:49as low as minus 27 degrees
0:42:49 > 0:42:53in some of the most remote areas of the Scottish Highlands.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I think this is the best job in the world, ever.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58I command a group of people who all love their job,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01who get given a helicopter
0:43:01 > 0:43:03and a chance to go out and rescue people's lives,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06and they can push themselves and the aircraft
0:43:06 > 0:43:07to the absolute limit to do so.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22From the outer limits to the heart of the action.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26At the Tower lifeboat station, one of four stations on the River Thames,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29volunteer Jean-Philippe Trenque is on duty
0:43:29 > 0:43:32for London's New Year's Eve party.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36I normally work in Canary Wharf, in the financial services industry.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40I just applied, went to the initial meetings, joined the crew,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44and that was it. That was about ten years ago, now, I suppose.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46My partner is working New Year, for the police.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49I didn't have anything else to do at home!
0:43:49 > 0:43:53So I thought, why not be here, and be part of the group?
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Tonight I imagine we're going to have a lot of drunk people,
0:43:56 > 0:43:57unfortunately.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01People jumping off bridges, either as a dare,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03or sometimes as a cry for help,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06or sometimes just to end it all.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Sadly, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are quite notorious for that.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15JP is part of the crew on one of two RNLI boats
0:44:15 > 0:44:20patrolling this 17-mile stretch of river in central London.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23And tonight they won't return to base until the party is over.
0:44:27 > 0:44:32MUSIC: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
0:44:32 > 0:44:36Back in Edinburgh, Hogmanay is in full swing as the bells approach.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41As celebrations gather pace all over town,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45lone paramedics wait in fast-response cars for a call.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48# Won't you come see about me? #
0:44:48 > 0:44:50It could be for anything from a drunken fall
0:44:50 > 0:44:52to a life-threatening emergency.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00It's a busy start to the evening for paramedic Mark Whittock.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04So, literally just taken the keys over from the day shift
0:45:04 > 0:45:08and was in the process of putting my gear in the car,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11and we've got an emergency call to Princess Street for a male
0:45:11 > 0:45:13who's been hit by a bus, apparently.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Mark's in one of four fast-response cars.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21They carry a single paramedic, who's usually first to the scene.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24An ambulance will follow to transport the patient.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31- You've been hit by a bus! - SLURS:- Oh, have I?- Yes.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Now, to be fair, you've had a good bevvy, is that right?
0:45:35 > 0:45:38- Yeah, I've had a very good bevvy. - Well, lucky you.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40What we're going to do is,
0:45:40 > 0:45:42because we can't really determine how injured you are
0:45:42 > 0:45:44with regards to your neck and your back,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47we're going to roll you onto your back and put a collar on you,
0:45:47 > 0:45:51to secure your neck and your back, just until we get to the hospital.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's fine.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55One, two, roll.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58The ambulance arrives and he is taken to hospital
0:45:58 > 0:46:00with a suspected fractured collarbone.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02He got quite a few injuries
0:46:02 > 0:46:05but nothing too serious life-threatening wise.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Probably the alcohol that he has got in his system hasn't helped.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11We've protected his neck and back as best we can
0:46:11 > 0:46:13until he gets a full assessment in hospital.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16On New Year's Eve, paramedics respond
0:46:16 > 0:46:18to an increase of approximately 1,000 calls
0:46:18 > 0:46:21relating to drunken behaviour.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25Across town, paramedic Craig Henderson is next to receive a call.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30This is a male, been struck by a taxi.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Basically, we were just leaving the club,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39and the taxi went about ten yards down the road
0:46:39 > 0:46:41and slammed the brakes on,
0:46:41 > 0:46:45and there was a guy that was obviously a wee bit too merry
0:46:45 > 0:46:48for the New Year, and he walked out in the road.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50The taxi driver put the brakes on,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52but the guys in the taxi weren't wearing a seat belt,
0:46:52 > 0:46:54so they've fallen forward.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57Me and Jamie fell from the back to the front.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58He's in there now,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01his nose is pouring with blood, his shoulder's sore.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04The guy that ran in front of the taxi is nowhere to be seen,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08he's oblivious to the fact that... what's happened tonight.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12It's just one of these things, New Year,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16everybody having a good time, just the wrong person at the wrong time.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18I caught up with Mark in Edinburgh
0:47:18 > 0:47:22to talk to him about what it's like working on a night like Hogmanay.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's getting bigger and bigger each year,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28and for the ambulance service, massive challenge.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Why do you agree to work on New Year's Eve?
0:47:30 > 0:47:33I would not say I AGREE to work it - it's part of my shift rota.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- OK, all right!- I have no choice!
0:47:35 > 0:47:39But the highs must be tremendously rewarding when you save a life.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41That must be a great feeling.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44You feel like quite a traumatic or a major job has gone very well,
0:47:44 > 0:47:45and the team work has worked very well.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Then you feel quite good inside, going, "That ran really smoothly,"
0:47:49 > 0:47:52and you can go home and go, "I did a good job today."
0:47:56 > 0:47:59The Hogmanay celebrations are now in full swing.
0:48:00 > 0:48:05Welcome to Scotland's Hogmanay live. Edinburgh - well, what can I say?
0:48:05 > 0:48:08She's looking beautiful tonight. The crowds here, just look at this!
0:48:11 > 0:48:14As Mark's night continues, so does the partying.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20This is beginning to take its toll.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22We have a 25-year-old female
0:48:22 > 0:48:26lying unresponsive in the street.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30- Hello.- All right, gentlemen. You take over.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32My name is Mark, I'm with the ambulance service.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Do you know you're lying in the street?
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Do you think you are going to be able to stand up?
0:48:37 > 0:48:39SHE MUMBLES
0:48:39 > 0:48:41If I get an ambulance here, at some point -
0:48:41 > 0:48:43they're busy, it might take a while -
0:48:43 > 0:48:44it will just take her to the Royal.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Mark requests an ambulance, but it could be a long wait,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51because the ambulance control centre are managing over 1,000 calls,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55that's ten times their normal number of calls.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Ambulance emergency.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00OK, tell me exactly what's happened.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Is this a suicide attempt?
0:49:02 > 0:49:05He said he is changing colour.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06Why is she screaming?
0:49:06 > 0:49:08They're the voices of the ambulance service,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10so when you ring 999, these are the people that you talk to.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13These are the people who try and calm you down.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16I really can't hear you - too much noise in the background -
0:49:16 > 0:49:19tell everyone to be quiet so we can find out...
0:49:19 > 0:49:22I think they're the unsung heroes of the ambulance service,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25because they're some of our lowest paid staff.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27I need you to lay him flat on his back on the ground.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Working in an environment where they are under constant pressure,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32and under constant focus.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Is Brian breathing?
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Right, OK. Right, OK, that's good.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40The real challenge is something the medics call triage.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44That's the process of prioritising which patients need treatment first,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46depending upon the severity of their condition.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Has she ever had a heart attack or angina?
0:49:49 > 0:49:51At Hogmanay, because we're so busy,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54and there's a high number of calls coming in,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57what we have to do is filter out, dig into the weeds,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and see which ones are the most seriously ill.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02Is there any serious bleeding?
0:50:02 > 0:50:04We have an automatic system,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07an algorithm that the call-takers who are non-medical,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09take the calls through the algorithm,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and it tells you what the severity level is of the call.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14OK, tell me exactly what happened.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17As a call comes in, the handlers ask a series of questions.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Is he awake?
0:50:19 > 0:50:21They're using a computer programme with a script
0:50:21 > 0:50:24which they go through with the callers.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Is he conscious? I mean, is he speaking?
0:50:27 > 0:50:30A flow chart of questions helps them work out
0:50:30 > 0:50:33just how serious the state of the patient is,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37allowing them to give life-saving instructions if necessary.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Move dangerous objects away from her.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43Now, when she stops fitting, make sure she's breathing.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45This is the quickest way to prioritise ambulances
0:50:45 > 0:50:47for the most serious calls...
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Is he blue round the lips, as well?
0:50:52 > 0:50:54..and to weed out the time-wasters.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Is this gentleman awake?
0:50:56 > 0:50:59When someone says someone's unconscious on a call,
0:50:59 > 0:51:01when you talk to them and say, "Well, are they talking?"
0:51:01 > 0:51:03And sometimes they'll say, "Yes."
0:51:03 > 0:51:05"So they're not unconscious, then."
0:51:05 > 0:51:06He's sitting up?
0:51:08 > 0:51:11If anything changes, just call straight back on treble nine
0:51:11 > 0:51:12for further instruction.
0:51:16 > 0:51:17Edinburgh's looking good.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20But 400 miles south, the clock is also ticking.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29With just minutes to go until midnight,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31there are tens of thousands of revellers
0:51:31 > 0:51:34crowded along the banks of the River Thames.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38On the water the RNLI crew are also in good spirits.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Could you think of anything better to do on New Year's Eve
0:51:44 > 0:51:47than be out on a boat on the River Thames?
0:51:47 > 0:51:52Doing what you love and helping people.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55And if they do have a little too much celebration
0:51:55 > 0:51:58then you are there to pick up the pieces for them afterwards
0:51:58 > 0:52:01at the end of the night. What more could you ask for?
0:52:06 > 0:52:07HORN HONKS
0:52:07 > 0:52:10There are a lot of people out in the party boats tonight,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13so we could have somebody fall in from there.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16But a lot of it is just high jinks.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20BIG BEN CHIMES
0:52:22 > 0:52:28- CROWD:- Six, five, four, three, two, one...
0:52:28 > 0:52:30CHEERING
0:52:33 > 0:52:37- Happy New Year.- Happy New Year.
0:52:46 > 0:52:4812.00 and ten seconds.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Happy New Year.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51Cheers!
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Happy New Year, it's 2013.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Oh, all the fireworks behind us - there we go.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15You know, I look at this as quite a sad existence. You know?
0:53:17 > 0:53:20Standing on my own watching the fireworks.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23There's no time to celebrate,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25because, for the emergency services,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29things really kick off after midnight.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Could you go and investigate? Just have a look.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34They may be about to fall in the water.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40For these teams, the next four hours are notorious.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43On the River Thames there are dozens of party boats.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51The combination of booze and cold water can be lethal,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54and the Tower lifeboat team are the first to respond
0:53:54 > 0:53:55to an emergency call.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Er, we've got a lady in there who is very, very intoxicated.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03She passed out in the toilet after being sick,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06and, er, we are trying to get her out of there.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Thank you!
0:54:08 > 0:54:10I'm just going to go back.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13And we've got the ambulance... has just arrived,
0:54:13 > 0:54:15so hopefully they will be able to help as well!
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Once they've handed over to the ambulance staff,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22the RNLI crew is free for the next job.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Woo!
0:54:28 > 0:54:32He's had a fair amount to drink and he's refusing treatment.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43You do see the pattern on this type of event.
0:54:43 > 0:54:48Sadly, alcohol is always part of the equation, unfortunately.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59In Edinburgh, 75,000 people are heading home.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02Some are a bit worse for wear.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11Whilst most calls are connected to the street party,
0:55:11 > 0:55:13paramedic Mark is on his way to another incident
0:55:13 > 0:55:16unrelated to the celebrations.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Request come in from the police.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21One of the police officers, apparently, has been assaulted,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24and another member of the public,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27apparently an assailant involved in the fighting,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29is now unconscious.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Hello! How are you doing?
0:55:36 > 0:55:38It's the ambulance service.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Has he been talking to you at all, or just going radge with you?
0:55:41 > 0:55:43He's been shouting and that, but...
0:55:43 > 0:55:45Just lie him flat on his back just now.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48He cannae really do much harm when he's lying flat, eh?
0:55:48 > 0:55:52The drunk man had been trying to get into the wrong flat in this block.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54He became violent,
0:55:54 > 0:55:57and when the police arrived he got into a fight with them.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01But Mark quickly has doubts as to whether he's really unconscious.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05Hiya. I've got the feeling that you are not completely unconscious
0:56:05 > 0:56:08if you can move your eyes like that, sir,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10so do you want to start talking to me?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12See, if you're unconscious,
0:56:12 > 0:56:14you cannae clench your mouth shut like that.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16All right? So you're no' playing the game the right way.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Come on, calm down, pal - calm down.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- Calm down!- For your safety, pal.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27He's just trying to bash his head on the ground.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31You're being assisted to lie flat at the moment,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34for your own safety. Are you sore anywhere?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- My hand and my heid. - Your hand and your heid.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Well, you've been banging your own head on the floor,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41so I assume that's pretty sore.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44All right, chaps. Thank you.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48Mark decides he is too aggressive to be transported in an ambulance.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52It takes a total of nine officers to get him into a police van
0:56:52 > 0:56:54to take him for medical help.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58He was really difficult to assess,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01although the police weren't being bad cops as such,
0:57:01 > 0:57:05yeah, we the ambulance service perhaps play a role of good cop,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07but people do sometimes kick off at us as well,
0:57:07 > 0:57:09so you never know what's going to happen.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13It's four o'clock,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15so it's not been too bad so far,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18the jobs we have done have been mostly alcohol-related.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20We've got a couple of hours left.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27Between seven at night and seven in the morning,
0:57:27 > 0:57:31the Scottish Ambulance Service field almost 3,000 emergency calls.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36Don't hold him down or force anything into his mouth.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Right, if he's becoming dangerous, you need to step away.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41I appreciate you need to protect everybody else...
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Tomorrow - the hangovers will arrive.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48And another army of paramedics and call handlers
0:57:48 > 0:57:51will be back on shift ready to cope with a new year.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55And in only a couple of months, the planning will start again
0:57:55 > 0:57:57for next year's biggest party.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04Coming soon on Keeping Britain Safe 24/7, it's spring.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06I'll be with the volunteer bikers
0:58:06 > 0:58:09helping premature babies across Scotland.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13I'll be with the newest recruits of the Manchester police dog unit,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16learning how to control the football crowds.
0:58:16 > 0:58:20And we're in Nottingham at one of the biggest trauma centres in the country
0:58:20 > 0:58:23to see how they deal with a rise in the number of sporting injuries
0:58:23 > 0:58:25each spring.
0:58:47 > 0:58:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd