0:00:00 > 0:00:04Today on Real Rescues - a terrified family struggles to breathe as fire sweeps through their home.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And what's that mewing under the decking?
0:00:20 > 0:00:22One little, tiny kitten.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Oh, you nasty little thing. OK, you can bite. That's nice.
0:00:28 > 0:00:34We follow the rescue of two trapped kittens as their mum watches on helpless from the sidelines.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Hello. This is Real Rescues. The team in this ambulance control room
0:01:01 > 0:01:04near Winchester work up to ten hour shifts and are rarely off the phone.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10That's right, each of the 999 call handlers average about 40 calls a shift.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12As you can hear, if you listen,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16very busy in here today. Let's see what sort of calls have been coming in, Shall we?
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Let's see if we can grab a word with Kelly who doesn't appear to be on the phone.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Anything interesting for us? - Yes, we just had
0:01:22 > 0:01:26an electrocution come through and Julie will tell you all about it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Julie is over there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Hello. On the phone, not on the phone. Electrocution?
0:01:33 > 0:01:37That's right. We are attending a lady who has touched a bare wire
0:01:37 > 0:01:41which was exposed on a freezer in a local store
0:01:41 > 0:01:46- so we sent an RRV to sort her out at the moment.- Any symptoms yet?
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Heart racing. She's complaining that her heart is racing.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Is that standard reaction to an electric shock?
0:01:50 > 0:01:58Yes. That's why we've deployed a rapid response vehicle so hopefully they'll be with her really soon now.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02We'll try and keep you updated with that as we go on through the day.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06- Louise.- Now just by looking at the wreckage of an accident skilled
0:02:06 > 0:02:09medics can work out how serious the injuries are likely to be.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The way debris is scattered or the shape of dents in the
0:02:12 > 0:02:16vehicle can point to the internal injuries a victim may have suffered.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20In the rescue we are about to see a motorcyclist collided with a 4x4.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24The wreckage around the crash is an ominous sign.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's late afternoon and acting sergeant Tony Flatman
0:02:31 > 0:02:35has been called as back-up to a serious motorbike accident.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43We're going to a Land Rover versus motorcycle accident
0:02:43 > 0:02:49reported that the motorcyclist is unconscious with serious injuries.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02It's happened on a fast, country A-road outside a car breaker's yard,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05scattering debris all over the tarmac.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Tony is brought up-to-date by PC Paul Barrett while critical
0:03:10 > 0:03:16care doctor, Deirdre Dunbar, starts examining the injured motorcyclist.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Paramedics from the air and land ambulance are also on the scene.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Got it? Steady, slide, perfect.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I could see his motorbike on the ground, the extent of the damage
0:03:27 > 0:03:33to the Land Rover and I was really quite concerned that Andy had suffered some very serious injuries.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39I was particularly concerned about his head, having seen the state of his helmet.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44It was a call from staff of the garage that got them all here within minutes.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I heard a big bang, looked around to see a motorbike up in the air.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53Came rushing out and the man lay on bonnet just groaning
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and then blood started coming out from his visor.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Not nice.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04He looked in a terrible state so I went back and dialled 999
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and everything evolved from there.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12Amazingly the injured man, Andy, is conscious and able to talk to the emergency team.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17I was surprised to actually see that he was alert, he was conversing with the paramedics.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So that was quite reassuring, but one can't be led into a false sense of
0:04:20 > 0:04:25security because sometimes these patients can go off very quickly.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Paul keeps Tony informed.
0:04:40 > 0:04:47Andy's responses and level of consciousness give every indication that he will recover.
0:04:47 > 0:04:54Dr Dunbar and the ambulance teams cut away Andy's leathers in order to examine him more fully.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57There's quite a bit of bruising around the lower femur there.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Stitch your cheek up
0:05:06 > 0:05:08and see you will be out by tea-time.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Maybe not quite that quick!
0:05:13 > 0:05:19They strap him on to the board and he is ready to be taken to the Queen Alexander hospital in Portsmouth.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24The emergency team know just how serious this kind of impact can be for a motorcyclist.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28They're thankful that he was wearing the right gear.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Whether he's actually rolled slightly on the bonnet...
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Rather than being flung straight on.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39That probably dissipated some of the energy.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45I'm flabbergasted the fact that he has escaped quite so lightly, but he was wearing
0:05:45 > 0:05:47very good protective equipment and I'm sure that played a very
0:05:47 > 0:05:53large part in actually minimising the extent of the injuries that happened.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58The driver of the Land Rover is in the police car where Paul has carried out an initial interview.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01He's very shaken up a the moment which is understandable
0:06:01 > 0:06:03seeing someone has gone through
0:06:03 > 0:06:07his windscreen, but it's a case of me now going away, speaking to
0:06:07 > 0:06:13witnesses and piecing all the pieces together and going from there to see where the investigation goes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17With Andy safely on his way to hospital, the yard can take charge of the clear-up.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22They're used to recovering vehicles from road accidents, but not from one so close to home.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28Head injuries bleed a lot from the head and they always look a lot more severe than they are.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It was a nasty cut.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36We thought he was a goner.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Thank you very much for your help and your assistance.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45With the road now cleared, it can be fully reopened and the police officers can leave the scene.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Tony will check on Andy's condition later in the day.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Andy is here to talk us through it and I have to say you are sat looking perfectly normal for
0:06:53 > 0:06:57a man who has actually taken out the front of a Land Rover is incredible.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Yeah. I didn't think so at the time.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I know, because
0:07:03 > 0:07:04I've had bike accidents.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08The first thing, it's all a bit confusing. What did you first think?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11They said you were lying on the bonnet groaning.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Well, I knew I was going to have the crash.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16There's that instant when you know.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Obviously I was on the bonnet, there was blood pouring into my mouth.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- I was spitting it out and initially I thought I was paralysed.- Why?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I didn't know where my arms were.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I thought they were underneath me.
0:07:29 > 0:07:36Then because of the pain I realised I wasn't and I just wanted to get off and try and get comfortable, really.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41We heard about there was a lot of blood coming from the visor, you were wearing a full faced helmet.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Is it the mark we can see over your cheek? Do you mind us having a look?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- No.- Come in closer, you can see the mark over your cheek so what did that, do you know?
0:07:47 > 0:07:53I have no idea what it was, if it was the windscreen or the visor, it was quite a messy cut.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57It was more like something smashed into it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We can bring up a couple of stills for you to look at.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04That's the front of the vehicle and you've taken the wing off that
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and these things are built to go through trees and things.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's extraordinary that you could have actually survived that.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Actually seeing that, it's quite incredible, really.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15But a lot is down to what you were wearing,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17we always go on this programme about wearing the right kit.
0:08:17 > 0:08:23Don't go out without it, full leathers, full crash helmet and gloves, everything.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Because the knee cuffs, the armour in your knees might have protected
0:08:27 > 0:08:28your knees and that?
0:08:28 > 0:08:34Yes, the fuel tank was totally caved in so that probably saved my knee.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Presumably no more biking?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- No, yeah, yeah. Back on the bike. - Really?- Yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- You've got a new bike already? - Yeah, I got it
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- back in October.- Unbelievable.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- That's before you could ride it? - No, the guy delivered it for me.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50That was very nice of him.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- He brought it up.- If you are a biker, you are a biker and there's no getting away from it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Thank you very much for coming in and talking to us today.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Extraordinary accident.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Now, later on, Deirdre Dunbar, the specialist emergency doctor who treated Andy that you saw in that
0:09:02 > 0:09:07film will be here to explain how important roadside treatment can be in the first hour after an accident.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It's often called the golden hour.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I want to talk to Matt here about a call that came in and actually show
0:09:16 > 0:09:18you some of the really interesting equipment.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22A commuter was seen falling off a wall. What happened to him?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24He was waiting for his morning train.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27He had fallen off a wall and started fitting.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Straightaway we realised his breathing wasn't effective after he had stopped fitting.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33So you start up this piece of equipment here.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37We've got a tool here which shows us, we can determine if a patient is breathing.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- I need you to tell me every time they take a breath and start from now.- You already started it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:49We wait for the intervals and as soon as it starts going orange, that's a warning light for us.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51These could be the patient's last breaths.
0:09:51 > 0:09:57At the end, once we have evaluated the breathing, it will come up and
0:09:57 > 0:10:01let us know it's not effective and straight away we have to start CPR.
0:10:01 > 0:10:07This is a good way of you being able to measure while they are on the phone the gaps between the breathing.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12And when you say those could have been his last breaths, you see this come up amber or orange.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Once it's orange that's a warning light for us so we know we have to do something to help the patient.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- So in this situation we start doing CPR.- Between you and the call.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I give instructions for CPR over the phone. The caller
0:10:23 > 0:10:28managed to get him back. A good result and he started breathing again.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Good work. Thank you.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Now the smoke from fires causes more deaths than just flames.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Just a few breaths of toxic fumes can kill.
0:10:36 > 0:10:42We're about to hear the recording of a 999 call where a family are woken by smoke pouring into their bedrooms.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46This is a harrowing call, but just so you know, everyone in this fire
0:10:46 > 0:10:51escaped unharmed, but you can clearly hear the effects of that smoke.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Well, the terrified family wait for help to arrive in mum and dad's bedroom, but they can't
0:12:32 > 0:12:38escape from the smoke and remember, everyone did get out, but this is a tough call to listen to.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Well, the family are now trapped.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Even with the window open, the smoke is overwhelming.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42The fire is raging below them and time is running out.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Well, goodness me, we have the people who were on that call - Brian,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Dawn and Louise, who was taking the call as well.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02Brian, you were incredibly calm during all of that and what is it like watching it back?
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- Shocking.- Is it? Why is that then? - It brings back a lot of memories.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12I am sure it does. How bad did you think this was going to get? You were really scared, were you?
0:15:12 > 0:15:17I didn't think we were going to get out, especially when I had trouble getting
0:15:17 > 0:15:23the window open but don't ask me how it opened, but we managed to break the lock and get out.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Dawn, you were finding it difficult to speak
0:15:26 > 0:15:29on the phone. Was that because you were scared or because you couldn't breathe because of the smoke?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32It was a bit of both, really. I was really scared for the children.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37Obviously they were all crying and upset and we just wanted to get that window open.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- How had you woken up in the first place?- I smelt smoke
0:15:40 > 0:15:44and I tried to rouse Dawn, but couldn't
0:15:44 > 0:15:49so I went to investigate and found the downstairs door was open
0:15:49 > 0:15:54and all the stairwell was full of smoke so my first reaction was get down there and shut the door.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Yeah. Yep, yep.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01- And that was it.- You phoned 999 and you got Louise on the phone.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03You were very calm as well during this whole call.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It's something you train for, but not what you expect, I guess?
0:16:05 > 0:16:09We do get really intense training, but it never prepares you
0:16:09 > 0:16:14for an actual person and each situation is going to be different, different circumstances,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16but Brian did everything I asked him to do.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21He was so calm, which makes my job a lot easier because he is rational,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and we can pass the information on to the crews and they know exactly where they have to rescue them.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29At that stage you know there are four of them and they are all trapped in an upstairs bedroom.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Did you really fear for their lives?
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Well, yeah, you get a rough idea listening to them coughing and
0:16:34 > 0:16:37the frustration because you can't do any more apart from give them
0:16:37 > 0:16:41the basic fire survival, how to keep the smoke out, what to expect when the crews get there that they could
0:16:41 > 0:16:47have been going out the window, you know, to prepare them for two little boys, that might be quite scary.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Yes, absolutely. How were the boys when they went out?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- Where they OK, Dawn?- They were OK.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55They all had oxygen when we went to hospital, but they were fine.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59And just being in that room with a fire raging down below, Brian
0:16:59 > 0:17:02said he didn't think you were going to get out. Did you feel the same?
0:17:02 > 0:17:08I was just really scared, same as the boys were, but I had to try and be as calm as possible for them.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Calm for them, yeah. Interestingly, Brian you had some fire training just beforehand?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- About two weeks before.- How did that help you in this situation?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Absolutely fantastic, you just go on autopilot.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21What did you know to do then?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26They gave you step by step instructions.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Shut all doors.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- Yes.- Block off any exit for smoke to come in under the doors, get
0:17:31 > 0:17:36everybody in one room and basically get as much ventilation as you can.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Yes, and you were incredibly calm so maybe that helped you give that calmness.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Well, I had a calm lady on the other end of the phone.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44You did. Fantastic.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Working on Real Rescues and the firefighters always say to me that at home we should all play a game
0:17:48 > 0:17:53with our children whereby they try to get to their parents' room with their eyes closed which is really important
0:17:53 > 0:17:57because then they are aware where the phone is as well. Thank you, all.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Still to come on Real Rescues: It's only a small cut, but the bleeding won't stop.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14He may not want to go, but this man needs hospital treatment.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18A workshop used to restore historic steam engines goes up in flames.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24Inside are gas canisters, an explosive nightmare for firefighters.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And the heat, it will basically go off like a bomb.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32And people, you know, close to it will get killed, there is no doubt about it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Recently, animal rescue expert Anton Philips was called to a back garden.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44A pet dog alerted the owner that some stray kittens have taken up residence under the decking.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Anton has got his work cut out.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Anton is responding to a call from the RSPCA already at the address.
0:18:57 > 0:19:03They've asked him to arrive tooled up, a tricky job may be in store.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08I've been called to some kittens that have been born to a stray.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10The stray has crept in under these people's
0:19:10 > 0:19:14decking and had their kittens underneath so I have no idea how old they are.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The RSPCA man thinks they are probably
0:19:17 > 0:19:21one to two weeks old. We could find that they've still got their eyes shut. We will see.
0:19:22 > 0:19:30The home-owner Paula has been unable to get to the kittens and there's been no sign of their mother.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34We can in actual fact see the track where she's been in and out a lot.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37What identified that the cats were under here? Did you hear them?
0:19:37 > 0:19:38- Or was it the dog?- The dog.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The dog was just barking and barking
0:19:41 > 0:19:46and that's when I came out, I just saw a paw come out from underneath the decking and swipe him.
0:19:47 > 0:19:53We've got builders working here at the moment and you can see the machines there swinging,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56that's probably what's spooked her to put these cats under here in the first place.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Adam from the RSPCA has identified one that's over the far side, a black one, that's down through
0:20:01 > 0:20:05the slats and we've got a white one enclosed here so I'm going to
0:20:05 > 0:20:08literally take the end off and hopefully give them some space.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11They may come out on their own if they're
0:20:11 > 0:20:15old enough, but I suspect that they'll probably run out the back,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17get away and hide.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22- Anton's DIY skills will be tested. - Lovely.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28All this for kittens, eh?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Is it coming right off?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Yep, good.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Super. There we go.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43They've exposed the white kitten, it seems in no mood to run.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49If I scruff it and take it out,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and then I shall give it to her adult. Here we go.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57It's a little tiddler, that's a tiny, tiny young cat.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01It's a bit mucky around the eyes, but I'm sure after a little clean-up
0:21:01 > 0:21:04down the Arc, it'll be absolutely fine. A nice
0:21:04 > 0:21:06little cat, actually.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10There we go. Let's pop it in there. There we go.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But getting to the other kitten won't be so straightforward.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15This concrete...
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Yep, I've got it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:25Neighbour Sarah and her daughter have already taken to the white one, but both kittens are very young, cold and
0:21:25 > 0:21:29clearly frightened, and need to be taken to the animal rescue shelter.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34That's literally a week or two weeks, maybe two weeks.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So he's been under there all that time.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Well, obviously, mother is going in and out and feeding them somehow,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but at the end of the day, they can't stay there.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I got you. Nice and steady. Here we go.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54One little tiny kitten.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Oh, you nasty little thing.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59All right. OK, you can bite. That's nice.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01You blooming thing.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Why do cats always want to bite me?
0:22:04 > 0:22:10With both kittens accounted for, Anton and Adam prepare to leave, but then the anxious mother turns up.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15This gives them a problem as ideally they don't want to break up the family.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18There's mother over on the top, look. She's just waiting.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22What do you think, Adam?
0:22:24 > 0:22:29I could have a go. Go into that if there's no-one in that other garden.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33If she's that stray and she's been out for a long time, she'll be pretty agile.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36This is going to be highly entertaining, but
0:22:36 > 0:22:38quite frankly I'm not expecting any success.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The best thing for them at the moment is to get to a vet
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and of course, if the mother can go too, that would be even better.
0:22:44 > 0:22:51From previous experience, Anton knows trying to trap a feral cat will be an extremely difficult task.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54He and Adam will attempt a two-pronged attack.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Well, the cat has decided to walk off into the back alley, which is exactly what I thought it might do.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Adam is coming in from the other side. I don't anticipate we'll get anywhere near it, but...
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Are you there, mate?
0:23:06 > 0:23:10I'll go back through and see if we can get her from the other side.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Unfortunately, there are plenty of places for a cat to hide.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30This cat has dropped into here. I think it's probably gone over the other side, but we'll have a look.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34These builders have got used to the cat watching them work.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36He normally sits on that roof.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It wouldn't stay here with you guys.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Then a sighting.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44She's sat in an alley just here just by that wendy house.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46She's just sat on the floor.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01A change of plan.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04What I'll do, I'll go back to the animal centre and get a cat trap and
0:24:04 > 0:24:11hopefully catch her that way, and hopefully we can reunite her with her kittens if the cat trap works.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12She's a pretty quick cat.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Too quick for me with this net.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17She's not gone down there?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20She went that way. She jumped over the fence and legged it that way.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- You know, bung a cat trap with a bit of grub and... - Fingers crossed, we'll catch her.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27And you'll pick her up in 24 hours or less.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Good stuff.
0:24:30 > 0:24:37Adam and Anton agree that for now the best thing to do is to get the kittens to the shelter right away.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- There you go.- I've got your number.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I'll give a ring about the cat trap.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Brilliant.
0:24:43 > 0:24:49And then just give us a ring when we catch it and we'll get them reunited. All right then?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- Hope they're OK.- No worries.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Bye then.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Ah, the kittens were taken to the RSPCA hospital and reunited with their mother.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07On Real Rescues we often see the work of the critical care Basics doctors, Basics is
0:25:07 > 0:25:14a charity made up of volunteer doctors who can provide medicine, even surgery at the roadside.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The key period following a serious injury is called the golden hour
0:25:18 > 0:25:20when high level medical treatment can save lives.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Phil Hyde and Deirdre Dunbar are here. Hi to you both.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Let's talk about that golden hour, it really can make the difference, can it, between life and death?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32It can indeed. When you're dealing with patients who have had
0:25:32 > 0:25:37significant trauma and they can be the sickest patients within the NHS.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Statistics tell us that actually it often takes an hour for those
0:25:40 > 0:25:44patients to go from the scene of their injury to the hospital.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50Now that hour is the critical time when we can prevent some of the secondary damage that can arise.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54As you're aware, trauma is the leading cause of death in the under
0:25:54 > 0:26:0040s so we're dealing with a young population and by far the major injury often is head injuries.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03OK, and Phil, you've got a specific example where you've used equipment
0:26:03 > 0:26:08like this, when a 14-year-old had a serious fall. What happened?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Yes, he was a young chap and tried
0:26:11 > 0:26:15to jump between two houses, and fell a couple of storeys on to his face
0:26:15 > 0:26:23and so then had a really nasty blow to his head, but also he fractured all the bones in his face.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25There was lots of bleeding into his mouth.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27So what were you able to do then?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29And you've got the piece of equipment here, haven't you, that you use?
0:26:29 > 0:26:34His immediate problem was that he was dying because there was too much
0:26:34 > 0:26:39blood in his airway so he couldn't breathe so he
0:26:39 > 0:26:44needed help to breathe, but he was still alive at that point.
0:26:44 > 0:26:52So what I was able to do for him was give him a general anaesthetic and put a breathing tube into his
0:26:52 > 0:26:58windpipe and put him on a breathing machine, which took away the problem with the blood in his airway.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02And then to reduce the bleeding, we used this device
0:27:02 > 0:27:10and so this is just a little balloon which goes into the nose and slides backwards, and then you blow it up.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13By blowing it up, blowing a balloon up, it presses
0:27:13 > 0:27:17inside where I can't press on the bleeding and stops the bleeding.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22The problem with that is you imagine if the bones of the face are broken then they'll slip down
0:27:22 > 0:27:28and so you actually have to put one of these in, which is a bite block to stop the bones pushing down.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30You carry... All of you have that particular kit.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33You have another piece of kit which is terrifying me, actually.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35If you're afraid of needles, you may not want to look at this.
0:27:35 > 0:27:42This is a device, if we've patients who have bled a lot and we're unable to put a cannula into the usual
0:27:42 > 0:27:49areas, we can sometimes use this piece of kit that's supplied by the charity to our volunteer doctors.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- It's a bit like a...- It's like a Black and Decker drill, essentially.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54I was talking to Andy the motorcyclist, if he'd had...
0:27:54 > 0:27:57You'd maybe use this on him if he'd had a very serious injury.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59If I was worried that he'd a lot
0:27:59 > 0:28:03of blood loss and that was compromising
0:28:03 > 0:28:08perhaps a head injury then I could have used this device at the scene to improve his chances.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10OK, so how do you use it then?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Without using it!
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- You're not offering to... - No, I'm not offering at all!
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Look away if you don't like needles.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21That bit's like a Black and Decker drill. That's attached.
0:28:21 > 0:28:29That will go into your arm, and then we could administer some fluids
0:28:29 > 0:28:34or some drugs through that access point and as I say, it's a standard
0:28:34 > 0:28:37piece of equipment for our Basics doctors.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Thank you very much for coming to talk to us. I know you're busy
0:28:40 > 0:28:42so I'll let you go and you can take that with you. Thank you.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46A quick update on emergency earlier, the lady
0:28:46 > 0:28:48who got electrocuted at the supermarket.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Fine, treated on scene, gone home.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54However, we've had another quick one come in now which we can ask Julie about.
0:28:54 > 0:29:01Right, the first details that came in was a caller said something bad has happened. They've been investigating.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04It transpires that a 55-year-old male has fallen from some scaffolding.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09There's a crew on scene with this patient and they have asked for the heli-med to attend.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13We've deployed heli-med and that's as far as we've got at the moment.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17We'll try and find out by the end of the programme whether the heli-med,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20that's the helicopter, gets there and how it progresses from there.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24When Ian Lamb cut his hand in the garden, it didn't look much.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27He thought a plaster would do the trick, but even the smallest cut
0:29:27 > 0:29:31can cause complications, especially when it won't stop bleeding.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Paramedic Ross Smith is heading out to a man who has injured himself doing a bit of DIY in the garden.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42We're going to a gentleman in his 50s.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Apparently, he's injured his hand gardening.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49It sounds like he's stabbed his hand with something.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Hand injuries are very serious because there are lots
0:29:52 > 0:29:55of nerves, ligaments and tendons that run through your hands.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58That forms, obviously, the movement.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01When he gets there, he finds Ian in the bathroom.
0:30:01 > 0:30:07- He's wrapped his hand in a towel after blood splurted out of the injury.- What have you done then?
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I was in the garden.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I had an accident with a knife, I was cutting some tape.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17- Right.- It's gone on top of me hand so I phoned my doctors hoping I could
0:30:17 > 0:30:20go down there, but they said no, I'd have to phone you.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21I didn't want a fuss.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25That's OK. We'll have a look in a second. Did you go to the top of the hand or in this way?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Between the thumb and the finger.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32Point on there. So between those two bits there. Was it a knife or something?
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- Yes, a sharp knife.- And the knife's not in there now, I take it?- No, no.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Did you see any blood spurting?
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- Yeah. - I can see the blood on the floor.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Right, let me get a bandage ready first.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45When I take it off, I want to get it straight on and we'll have a little look.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Ross can tell by the amount of blood in the bathroom that Ian
0:30:49 > 0:30:55must have sustained a nasty cut, but even he's surprised by how much it's bleeding when he removes the towel.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Ready.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Right, where are we? OK.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- A little spurt.- Yeah, it was, yeah.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06You've just hit a little...
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- Vein?- Artery.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14Ross needs to heavily bandage the hand in a bid to stem the bleeding.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Right, keep your hand up. Up.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Ian has cut into an artery and the blood is soaking through
0:31:20 > 0:31:22the bandages as quickly as Ross can wrap it.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Answer it if you want.- Hello?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Ian's wife is rushing home and has called through.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Am I going to hospital? - Yeah, you have to go, yeah.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- In the ambulance? - No, if your wife can...
0:31:34 > 0:31:38If you can take me, we can go to QA, Barbara, or whatever.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41OK, then. Right, thanks.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- Bye, bye. - How long is she going to be?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- A few minutes.- Oh, cool. I'm going to put another bandage on.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Hold it up like that. Can you feel your thumb?
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Yeah, I'm fine, mate. - Fingers?- Yeah.- OK.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56The force of the blood is stopping it from clotting.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01Veins generally ooze and it's darker blood and this is bright red blood and it's squirting.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03He's got a small arterial bleed.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Some good pressure, it's still coming through the bandage.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08I'll put another one on just to give some more pressure and his
0:32:08 > 0:32:12wife is literally two minutes so it should be quicker going straight in the car up to the hospital.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16A big boxing glove on here, Ian, sorry about that.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Right, so no delays, get in the car and go straight over to QA
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- and go into the accident and emergency department.- Yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27And they'll take it from there.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31The higher Ian keeps his arm, the lower the pressure of the blood pumping to his hand.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Ross fits a sling to help him hold it up and reduce the bleeding.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41Before they leave, Ross wants to have a look at the blade that caused all the trouble.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45OK, so it's just a normal vegetable knife, wasn't it?
0:32:45 > 0:32:48I was cutting the tape from there
0:32:48 > 0:32:53to do a repair and as I did it, it came down awkwardly.
0:32:53 > 0:33:00It looks dirty, so again you'd be surprised how infected wounds can get
0:33:00 > 0:33:02from objects like that.
0:33:02 > 0:33:08Ian's wife Barbara has arrived ready to act as his emergency taxi.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Thanks for your help. - You're welcome.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Take care next time, Ian. Wear gloves or something, you know?
0:33:13 > 0:33:18Ian requires hospital treatment to clean his wound properly as there's always a risk of infection.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23Luckily, he's right-hand dominant and that's his left-hand, and he's not
0:33:23 > 0:33:27a watch maker, he's a lorry driver, he still needs his hands to work
0:33:27 > 0:33:30but it's not on the palm of his hand so he can still technically operate
0:33:30 > 0:33:32even if they put a few sutures on the back of his hand.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36If they go straight to QA now, the local hospital, there's
0:33:36 > 0:33:38no reason why that can't be sorted out in a few hours.
0:33:42 > 0:33:48We thought as there was so much blood involved in that particular story that we'd talk about blood
0:33:48 > 0:33:50and related issues so we've got Julian to talk to us here.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Three types of bleeding, apparently?
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Yes, that's true. There's capillary bleeding which is abrasions
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and things when you scuff your knee.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Venous bleeding from a vein, which often is dark in colour,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08dark red blood which will pour out slowly
0:34:08 > 0:34:13and then you've got arterial bleeding which is probably the one you see on all the movies where somebody
0:34:13 > 0:34:18cuts themselves and the blood is squirting across the room, and that's where, with every heartbeat,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- it shoots out. - How do you stop bleeding?
0:34:22 > 0:34:25We saw they were having difficulty there. Is it just about pressure?
0:34:25 > 0:34:29I think that's the thing. It doesn't matter what type of bleeding it is, the best way to stop
0:34:29 > 0:34:32any sort of bleeding is to apply direct pressure to it.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37So, for instance, if it's also something on a leg or an arm,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41if you apply direct pressure and elevate the arm or the leg,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43that will slow the bleeding down.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47If you can get it above the heart, the heart is having to pump uphill so you will lose...
0:34:47 > 0:34:52- Exactly right, yep.- Interesting as well, because a little bit of blood can look like a lot, can't it?
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It can and different parts of the body bleed more as well.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58The head is vascular, so if you get a small cut on the head,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01it'll always look quite bad, but it may not necessarily be that way.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Well, oddly enough Louise carried out a demonstration of this just recently. Take a look at this.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09What I've got here is a coffee cup with ink on it and I'm going to spill
0:35:09 > 0:35:12it on the floor so we can get an idea of what it might look like.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19Oh, my goodness, so that's a very small amount and I'd be extremely worried if I saw that.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23That's about 50 mls and for an adult that's not a problem for us to lose.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28There you go. A little bit of blood can go a long way, but that was obviously ink.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30The last thing is, if you get a really heavy bleed,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33we've seen in the programme, people starting to use tourniquets at home.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35It's not something you should use at home, is it?
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It's not something we'd recommend to anyone to do.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43If you put a tourniquet on a leg or an arm, you can create other problems in addition.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- We'd just say to anybody... - Pressure, elevation.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51And if it's a serious bleed, 999 and call us and we'll come and deal.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Lovely. Talking of serious bleeds,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57- Louise has got a little story connected.- I have indeed.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Holly here, who's a call taker, you cut your own artery, didn't you?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04What happened? You were cleaning your caravan?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06I was spring cleaning my caravan
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and I put my arm through the glass window trying to open it to let some
0:36:10 > 0:36:17air in and just a little bit of glass sort of nipped the artery and it went into my skin.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19How did you know it was an arterial bleed?
0:36:19 > 0:36:24I could tell by the way it was bleeding, squirting out across the room.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Gosh, your mum was luckily there, wasn't she?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Yes, my mum was there and my friend was there and I just put a lot of
0:36:29 > 0:36:31pressure on it, and my mum rushed me to hospital.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35You say it was a tiny cut, we can just see the scar.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39It's tiny, a designer cut, but it caused a lot of damage, didn't it?
0:36:39 > 0:36:44Yes, I had to have a blood transfusion and I was put on drips as well.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46And how are you with glass?
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I can't stand breaking glass.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It freaks me out a little bit.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I'm not surprised. It's extraordinary that.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57- A tiny little cut but it could be that frightening.- Yeah, exactly.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02Excellent. One of the first things firefighters need to know about a burning building is what's inside.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07Apart from gas bottles, paint tins and the like, even innocent sounding substances like saw dust,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11flour and sugar can explode when they're on fire.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14When a workshop where they restore old steam engines went up in flames,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18firefighters knew they had their work cut out.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25Hampshire firefighters have been called to reports of smoke and flames coming from a railway station.
0:37:25 > 0:37:32It's on the Watercress Line, a major tourist attraction that runs steam trains in Hampshire.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Retained fireman Peter Roach was on duty that evening.
0:37:37 > 0:37:44I could see smoke coming up from the station, which we were probably half a mile away at that time.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48As they arrive they find the workshop behind the station on fire.
0:37:48 > 0:37:54It's where the train carriages are stored and it's used for welding so there are cylinders inside.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57This creates a huge risk of explosion.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00The heat, it'll go off, basically,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04like a bomb and people, you know, close to it will get killed.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06There's no doubt about it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08So it's a big danger to us.
0:38:08 > 0:38:14We could see smoke coming out of the doors at the front, which were roller shuttered doors,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17and smoke coming out of the roof.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23The metal shutters are securely locked and there's no way of getting
0:38:23 > 0:38:28into the workshop through the smaller side doors.
0:38:28 > 0:38:34Group manager, Dave Loch, immediately sets up a 200 metre exclusion zone.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It's extremely dangerous because
0:38:36 > 0:38:41you don't know how long it's been involved in fire, and you don't know
0:38:41 > 0:38:47when it's going to explode at all, so from that point of view, we take extreme safety measures.
0:38:47 > 0:38:54By now, information is coming in that the workshop is divided by a wall into two separate sections.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57So far, the fire is contained in the front half.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02The acetylene cylinders are kept in the rear half so they won't have heated up to dangerous levels.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05They must stop the fire spreading to the back of the building.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10Dave issues instructions to the firefighters at the bridge end.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Their role was to make an entry into the fireside.
0:39:12 > 0:39:19Once they'd made an entry into the fireside they reported back to inform us that the fire hadn't
0:39:19 > 0:39:26spread to that end and they could actually see the acetylene cylinder that was in there.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30I had a hazardous material officer attend
0:39:30 > 0:39:35and he went and checked the cylinder and confirmed that the cylinder hadn't been involved in fire.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The danger of explosion has gone, but they still have to stop
0:39:40 > 0:39:43the fire from spreading to the rest of the building.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48First, they have to cut their way through all the metal doors
0:39:48 > 0:39:54so that, as well as fighting the fire from outside, they can get to the point where it started.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59The visibility in there was extremely poor so you couldn't see very much at all.
0:39:59 > 0:40:05We'd been informed there was a carriage on the left-hand side, that was the main area of fire,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07that smoke was virtually down to the ground.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10Getting enough water has been difficult.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14There isn't a supply down by the station.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Now they've set up an inflatable dam.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23The water carrier arrived and dumped its 11,000 litres of water in the dam.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29The water appliance then pumped out of the dam and put its water on to the fire.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33While the water carrier then can go off and refill from that fuel station.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37But the fire has now been going for nearly two hours.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39There's no chance of saving the front half of the building, but the
0:40:39 > 0:40:45other side where the acetylene cylinder was has escaped the flames and the aim is now to keep it safe.
0:40:45 > 0:40:52Throughout the evening, over 50 men continue to pour water on to this building.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And some remain throughout the night just to make sure nothing flares up again.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00After 14 hours, the last firefighter can finally leave.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03They've managed to contain the blaze to the front half of the building.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The roof had collapsed, the wall panels had gone.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09When you think, within that area, was totally destroyed.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13However, the other end was fairly well intact.
0:41:13 > 0:41:20Astonishingly, the next morning the trains are up and running on the Watercress Line.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25Passengers can see the utter devastation to the building.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28But, at the far side, there's little damage to see
0:41:28 > 0:41:33and the fire was prevented from destroying the line or the station.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37We've just got an update on
0:41:37 > 0:41:40the heli-med, which is the helicopter with a medical team
0:41:40 > 0:41:45on board who go to the emergencies and are on site now with the builder who fell off the scaffold.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49I always feel terribly sorry when I hear of those, obviously being involved with builders a lot.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53One of my builders fell off a scaffold this year and was out for six months with related injuries.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- It's very dangerous, building and scaffold in particular. - Better?- Yes, better now.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03I was talking to Louise, the call taker from that fire, she was telling me about what we should practise at
0:42:03 > 0:42:07home, because we have fire drills at work and at school, but we never think about doing it at home.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10She says your children, if they're little, need to know how to get
0:42:10 > 0:42:14to the parents' bedroom in the dark so you should practise it as a game.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And on your hands and knees, apparently, because smoke always goes up to the ceiling,
0:42:18 > 0:42:23and if you make it a game and make them crawl on their hands and knees, they'll keep out of the smoke.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27You should think about where you'll escape to as well, and where the phone is.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28So there are three key things to think about.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Also check your fire alarms and make sure they're working.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Batteries, check them regularly.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36We'll have more Real Rescues for you very, very soon.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Yes, we'll see you then. Goodbye.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Subtitles by RED BEE MEDIA LTD