A WORCESTER St John member and headteacher has received a prestigious accolade at the West Midlands Ambulance Awards for acting quickly when a colleague collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.
Last November, Jon Beacham took charge of the situation after instructing staff members to get the defibrillator (AED) whilst he carried out CPR.
Jon delivered two shocks from the defib before the patient regained consciousness and the ambulance arrived. Due to John’s quick actions the patient made a full recovery and he was presented with the St John Ambulance Award.
More than 700 guests were present for the awards ceremony in Brierley Hill, including the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Louise Bennett OBE, and the High Sheriff of the County of Warwickshire, Mrs Rajvinder Kaur Gill.
Mrs Gill said: “Every second counts in this line of work, it can make the difference between life and death.
“Everyone throughout the organisation, frontline, support staff and back office, all show unwavering commitment, skill and compassion every single day and it is only right to recognise their extraordinary efforts.”
In total, 57 members of staff were recognised for having given 20 years of service to West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), 17 staff were commended for 25 years’ service, 18 received certificates for 30 years’ service, nine members of staff were honoured for 35 years in the trust. Two celebrated the incredible landmark of 40 years of service.
Other awards to be handed out included Student Paramedic of the Year, Mentor Awards, Apprenticeship Awards, Community Initiative and Partnership Awards, Community First Responder (CFR) Long Service Awards and CFR of the Year.
Trust chief executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “We have incredibly dedicated members of staff and volunteers who continue to provide excellent patient care every single day.
“That is why events such as our awards are important.
“I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone for the professionalism and dedication they continue to show, to help people in their hour of need.”
The trust’s awards were sponsored by University of Wolverhampton, Birmingham City University, Optima Health, Mills and Reeve and Jays Sourcing.
