The Northern Echo
LONDON, England — North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) managers Simon Swallow and Gary Malloy will be at the centre of the action during the London Olympics 2012.
The pair will be based at New Scotland Yard as members of the central command looking after emergency planning.
NEAS will also have 13 paramedics working in the capital, helping to look after the millions of spectators expected at the games.
Over the last 12 months, NEAS staff have participated in a number of training exercises simulating major potential incidents ahead of the Olympics.
Simon, head of resilience and special operations, said: “I think the preparations have gone well. It’s a very impressive set-up at New Scotland Yard. Gary and I have been down a few times already as part of the National Olympic Co-ordination Centre.
“It’s essentially a massive control centre made up of people from a number of disciplines such as the police and fire service.
“Information from all the Olympic venues around the country is fed in to the centre then passed on to the Prime Minister.”
Sheila Coatesworth is one of the NAES paramedics who will work alongside her London colleagues to offer her expertise at events and assist with the huge crowds expected.
“I’m really excited about going to London,” said the team leader paramedic. “I know it’s going to be really hard work and there are going to be a lot of obstacles along the way, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m just so glad to be a part of it.
“Every time they announce more sporting events I just get more and more excited, knowing that I’m going to be a part of it.”
As a team leader paramedic, Sheila spends much of her time on the road, attending to emergencies in a rapid response car or with another paramedic in an ambulance.
Although she has covered several sporting events and concerts at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and Newcastle’s St James’ Park, this will be Sheila’s biggest achievement in her career to date.
“I do event cover up here, but this will be the biggest thing I’ve done,” she said.
“They are expecting millions of people to be at the events, so they will be on a much grander scale than I’ve dealt with.
“It will be totally different to my usual job. I normally come into work and am given a job to do, whereas this will be like going into the unknown.
It’s really exciting.
“My husband was very understanding when I told him I had volunteered for Olympics duty.
Something like this will never come around again.”
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