David Bull, the Head of Education at the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) has been awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal for Distinguished Service in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this weekend.
Mr Bull has received his QAM for his “tireless dedication to driving national ambulance education forward by demonstrating initiative, innovation, determination, confidence and leadership.”
The Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal (QAM) honours a very small, select group of ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, outstanding ability, merit and conduct in their roles within NHS Ambulance Services. It was introduced last year and was warmly welcomed by ambulance services because it finally ensures that the dedication of ambulance staff now has the same level of Royal recognition as other members of the emergency services.
Mr Bull, 44, lives in Sussex with his family and says: “I am delighted to have been awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal and it is a real honour to be recognised for the significant advances that have been made in emergency services training. I would like to thank so many people for supporting me, all those involved in training across all three emergency services who I have worked with over the years, and particularly those whose jobs keep them behind the scenes in admin and logistics, but without whom my job would not be possible. Finally, the biggest thanks must go to my family and close friends for the love and support they have provided me with during my time in the ambulance service.”
Mr Bull is now entitled to place the letters QAM after his name and in accordance with custom, his QAM will be formally presented at an investiture ceremony by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace later in summer.
Keith Prior, the National Director of NARU, says: “This is an outstanding achievement for anybody in the ambulance service but to have one of my members of staff receive such a coveted award is fantastic. David has always been innovative and creative and he works extremely hard for NARU, doing a first-rate job leading our education provision which has developed an extremely strong reputation for excellence during his time in charge. Along with other NARU team members I am very proud of David’s achievement and see this in some small way as a success for the whole of NARU.”
Mr Bull started his career serving 14 years in the Army undertaking a number of operational tours. He joined the former Sussex Ambulance Service in 2000, worked as a Paramedic in Brighton and was then seconded to work on delivering national multi-agency command training for the former Ambulance Service Association (ASA). He was then asked to lead the development of training and education for the national Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) programme on behalf of the Department of Health.
Although Mr Bull was originally nominated for the QAM anonymously by a colleague, it was actually the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) that was responsible for nominating David as a recipient of the award in England, taking his citation into account against other nominees.
The citation for Mr Bull included reference to the excellent relationships he has built up with colleagues in multiagency partners, Government Departments and in health and ambulance services abroad. In addition many letters of support were received in support of Mr Bull’s citation from a broad range of people with whom he has worked with over the years.
The citation noted: “David has overcome many obstacles to develop high quality education, both personal and professional, going not just the extra mile but often far beyond, his tireless dedication to deliver exceptionally high standards has resulted in being away from home for significant periods, often spending four or five nights away each week for the past five years. Despite this, David has sustained the high tempo and has genuinely driven national ambulance education forward by demonstrating initiative, innovation, determination, confidence and leadership.”