West Midlands Ambulance Service Chief Officer Commendations were awarded to a team from the NARU Education Centre on Thursday 20th March at a special ceremony in Staffordshire.
The NARU team received Outstanding Achievement Awards for their work organising Operation Amber 2 in May 2013, which was widely seen as a high profile success.
Watch the video of the team receiving their award here.
The staff members were:
Nicola Harrington, NARU Exercise & Events Manager
David Levesley, Hazardous Area Response Team leader
Sid Murphy, NARU Instructor
Dave Bull QAM, NARU Head of Training & Education
Carl Ledbury, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Manager, West Midlands Ambulance Service
Martin Minard, Logistics Manager, West Midlands Ambulance Service
Operation Amber 2 took place in Staffordshire in May last year with the aim of demonstrating joint emergency working procedures in the event of a large scale incident. If such an event were ever to take place, UK ambulance services would integrate quickly in response to the treatment of mass casualties.
The commendation stated: “The team members deserve the highest recognition for their part in organising Operation Amber 2 and making it one of the largest and most significant ambulance-led exercises ever held in the UK. The long hours and detailed planning were rewarded with high praise and described by a government official as ‘showing inter-operability at its best.”
WMAS Chief Executive Anthony Marsh said: “Being the best takes an awful lot of hard work, determination, commitment and professionalism and I am really proud and grateful for all of your work.”