The Flying Christine III is a purpose-built marine ambulance, originally constructed with a 30 year design life, but following boat surveys and operational reviews the board of St John Ambulance and Rescue Service has decided to extend the life of the vessel by investing in a programme of improvements. This will help to ensure the boat can continue to provide a lifeline service for the Bailiwick and meet operational needs of the service for another 10 years.
Work includes repainting and cleaning, removal and serving of the engine, upgrading the mechanics and electrics, improvements to the deck hatches, updating clinical area and enhanced infection control standards.
Improvements will be carried out in phases during the year, with phase one taking place from February and the second phase scheduled for December. This time scale avoids the summer period when demand for the marine ambulance is normally higher.
Volunteer Marine Operations Manager, Gary Ward said: “The Flying Christine III has served the Bailiwick well for nearly 30 years and although the vessel is nearing the end of its planned operational life, with some investment and modernisation she is capable of reamining in service for up to 10 more years.”
Under existing and well-rehearsed contingency plans, the RNLI St Peter Port Lifeboat, Access Challenger and Brechou Chief will provide temporary cover for the marine ambulance service, while the Flying Christine is undergoing the planned work.
Mr Ward added: “We are grateful to the management and volunteer crew of St Peter Port lifeboat and operators of the Access Challenger and Brechou Chief for their support in helping us provide resilience while the Flying Christine is out of the water.”
The work is estimated to cost in the region of £200,000, which is a fraction of the price of building a replacement vessel. The costs are being met by charitable funds, from a bequest specifically for the marine ambulance.
In 1994 the Flying Christine III was built thanks to public donations and sponsorship and is the third marine ambulance to serve the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The original launch, a converted passenger boat was in operation from July 1952, with support from the Guernsey Round Table and Jack Martel, after the States of Deliberation voted 27 votes to 17 against funding the marine ambulance service. Flying Christine II followed from 1964 to 1994 and more than 70 years on collectively the three ambulance launches have saved countless lives within the Bailiwick.
Today the marine ambulance is operated by St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, with a boat crew of skilled and experienced volunteers from the local marine community and professional paramedic-led medical teams from the ambulance service. The Flying Christine III is a charitable asset, paid for by a combination of donations, subscriptions and charges. Local company Moonpig has been sponsoring the costs of fuel since 2020.
The marine ambulance provides a life-line service for the islands of the Bailiwick and vessels in local waters, responding to around 40 calls a year. In the past couple of years, a vast amount of work has been carried out to ensure the Flying Christine III meets the local legislative requirements and is a Search and Rescue asset, ready for deployment 24/7.
Events to mark the 30th anniversary of the Flying Christine III are being planned for later in the year, and include an open day with opportunities for the public to take a tour of the vessel and a ceremony at the harbour.
On the night of 16th/17th January 1974 the Cypriot vessel which was carrying a cargo of timber lost power during a storm and struck the Conchee Reef near Perelle. The vessel was holed below the waterline and the crew abandoned ship, tragically their lifeboat was overwhelmed and all eighteen crewmen died.
Neil Tucker, who had only joined the ambulance service a few months earlier, recalls hearing the radio messages in the control room. “I was on my first evening shift and I remember hearing the voices of crew say they were going to abandon ship. They said they were going around and around and didn’t know where they were. It wasn’t nice to listen to.”
On the morning of 17th January the Chief Ambulance Officer Reg Blanchford asked for two volunteers to be winched onto the wreck by helicopter to carry out a search and take photos for the investigation. Keith Fothergill and John Marshall who were part of the dive team stepped forward.
“We went straight to airport and were picked up by helicopter then we were lowered onto the deck. At the time it was a job just like any other emergency. The sea was still very rough and every time a wave came in the whole boat shuddered,” said Mr Fothergill.
Mr Marshall added “The weather was horrendous but we had trained for this type of incident. I remember having to climb over timbers and the front of the wheel house was smashed in. We found the cabin clock which was full of sea water and had stopped at quarter past one.”
The pair were also among the crew of the Ambulance and Rescue Inshore Rescue Boat, with Mick Peters and Colin Bartie, which was sent to the scene the following day.
Ken Brehaut was in the first ambulance tasked with retrieving the bodies from the coastline. “The weather conditions had been horrendous and the sound of the wind was awful,” he said. “After we retrieved the first body my job was to supervise the temporary mortuary which had been set up by the authorities and handover the bodies to the police.”
To mark the anniversary representatives from Guernsey’s Ambulance and Rescue Service and the St John charity attended a memorial ceremony at the Prosperity monument at the L’Eree headland. The event which is organised by the Guernsey Association of Royal Navy, Royal Marines & Merchant Navy is due to be attended by the family of one of the crewmen from the Prosperity. The service was conducted by Dean of Guernsey Tim Barker and the St John chaplain Adrian Datta.
During the moment of reflection when the crew of the Prosperity were remembered the congregation stood silently in the cold wintery shower and all that could be heard was the wind and the sound of the sea in the background.
Earlier this year, Greg was off-duty, when a 999 call was made for a patient who was choking in a nearby restaurant. Greg volunteers as Community First Responder, so he was alerted to the incident by the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre and because he was just around the corner he was on scene within minutes. Greg was able to use his paramedic skills to clear the blockage and secure the patient’s airway, before starting ventilations all before the arrival of the ambulance.
Guernsey’s Chief Ambulance Officer, Mark Mapp said: “Greg acted promptly and professionally and his actions on that day saved the patient’s life”. The award was presented to Greg by the Chairman of St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, Marc Farror.
Greg joined Guernsey’s ambulance service in 2014, initially working on the Patient Transfer Service. He then moved to the emergency ambulance service and qualified as a paramedic in 2020. He volunteers as one of the islands Community First Responders, who are alerted to immediately life-threatening cases in their vicinity and are trained and equipped to provide life-saving treatment in the minutes before an ambulance arrives. When a patient is choking, the blockage can cause them to stop breathing and without prompt intervention this can lead to a cardiac arrest.
Although paramedics and Community Fist Responders have additional skills and training, members of the public can give first aid for someone who is choking, by encouraging the casualty to cough and if the patient cannot clear the object themselves the first aider can lean the casualty forward and give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades. If this is unsuccessful, the first aider can give up to five abdominal thrusts. If a casualty is choking it is also important to dial 999 and be prepared to start CPR if they become unresponsive.
To find out more about first aid training in Guernsey click https://stjohntraining.gg/
A paramedic officer has been sent to Alderney to provide additional clinical and command support for the Alderney ambulance crew. Some of the Alderney staff have also offered to cancel their leave so they can be on standby if needed. Another paramedic officer has been sent to Sark to provide additional resilience for the island and support for the Sark doctor. Herm island has been informed of contingency plans, and on-island responders will receive hear and treat clinical support from Guernsey if required.
The decision to increase resilience in the other islands was made following the warning of severe weather with winds of up to 95 mph predicted. The airport and harbours will be closed on Thursday at the height of the storm, meaning there will be no flights or ferries.
Islanders are being advised to stay at home on Thursday and not travel unless essential. Schools will also be closed.
In Guernsey, additional ambulance crews will also be on duty during the next 36 hours, with some operational changes possible during the storm. At times there may be some delays to ambulance responses, however 999 calls will be triaged and life-threatening cases will be given priority. For less urgent calls medical advice from a clinician may be given over the phone, by a paramedic officer who will be stationed at the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESSC).
St John Ambulance and Rescue Service (SJARS) Chief Executive Officer, Mark Mapp, is asking islanders to heed the advice from the States of Guernsey: “We have put special arrangements in place as part of our emergency planning and preparedness. The safety and protection of patients, staff and volunteers will continue to be our priority, but depending on the severity and impact of the storm some of our normal operating procedures may have to change. The best thing people can do to support the emergency services is to stay at home and not put themselves or our emergency responders at risk. If anyone needs urgent medical help they should call 999 in the normal way and the most appropriate response will be arranged.”
The Non-emergency Patient Transfer Service (NEPTS) will only be providing transport for essential patients. Any patients whose journey will need to be rescheduled will be contacted by the NEPTS team.
For the latest information please visit https://www.gov.gg/stormciaran
After reading a Guernsey Press article in 1997, about a library needing volunteers to deliver books to people in their homes, Grace Spittal began volunteering with the St John Community Library. Almost 26 years later, Grace’s service and continued dedication to the library and its users has been recognised at a recent presentation.
The St John Community library is a free to access library service which has both a physical library in the Rohais and also offers a free home delivery service for those who can’t visit the library. Heather Langlois, chief executive of the St John charity said “Our library is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who also provide friendship, social contact and conversations for people who might otherwise feel isolated or lonely. A visit from a delivery volunteer like Grace, may be the only visitor that some of the service users will see each week. We are so immensely grateful for Grace and for all that she has done over the years”.
Asked what she enjoys most about her role, Grace said she spends a lot of time with her readers to find out about their literary tastes which she then uses to customise the selections of books to deliver to that reader. “I had one reader who only read Cowboy books, and over the years most of those books had been issued to him at least seven times! I expect the plots were similar but as long as there was a horse, a goodie, a baddie and a gal – that made riveting reading! I love meeting people and reading, so I offered my help all of those years ago and am still enjoying it” said Grace.
The St John Community Library in the Rohais is open to the public on Tuesdays 1pm-4pm. Home deliveries take place throughout the week. The library can be contacted on 727129 or by emailing library@stjohn.gg
St John offered to assist after the organisers of the event made a last minute public appeal for an extra boat to carry families of those who were lost on the the Royal Navy cruiser and destroyer during World War 2. The volunteer crew of the Flying Christine were delighted to help. The Flying Christine joined the St Peter Port Lifeboat, enabling all those who wanted to to travel into the Little Russel for the short ceremony.
Our involvement in the wreath laying service was especially fitting because 80 years ago, during the Occupation of Guernsey, St John Ambulance personal retrieved the bodies of 21 sailors who were washed up on Guernsey’s beaches. Every year we remember those who were lost at sea and representatives of Guernsey’s ambulance service and the St John charity also take part in the memorial service at La Foulon cemetery.
This year the Chief Executive of St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, the Cadet of the Year and Badger of the Year placed wreaths on the war graves in the service attended by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and island dignitaries.
A total of 504 servicemen died in the sinking of British the warships during Operational Tunnel.
The St John marine ambulance volunteer boat crew had a great day giving the Guernsey public tours of the Flying Christine III.
Our youth leaders, Cadets and volunteer first aiders were on hand with first aid demonstrations, our Cycle Response Unit and off-road ambulance.
Lots of people discovered more about how St John supports our community in many different ways, with St John First Aid Training, our Community Library and Preventative Care work.
The emergency ambulance and rapid response car were popular with families and our teams of staff and volunteers enjoyed meeting everyone.
We’re looking forward to being back with another Seafront Sunday in 2024.
Thank you.
St John Lifesavers are volunteers who will be trained as Community First Responders, Volunteer Ambulance Reserve and/or Guardians of Alderney’s Public Access Defibrillators.
Community First Responders (CFRs) are trained and equipped to provide life-saving skills in the minutes before the ambulance arrives. Evidence suggests that early recognition of cardiac arrest, early alert of the ambulance, early CPR and early use of an AED can all contribute to improving a patient’s chances of survival. The St John Lifesavers scheme means that when someone dials 999 for a patient in cardiac arrest, or with another life-threatening medical emergency, a team of trained volunteer first responders will be alerted. If they are nearby, they can respond to provide immediate care while the ambulance is en-route.
Volunteer Ambulance Reserves provide extra support and added resilience in major incidents, during times of high demand and in adverse weather conditions. They are trained in how to set up the major incident equipment, assist with transport, logistic and basic first aid.
Guardians of the Public Access Defibrillators will carry out regular checks and routine maintenance of Alderney’s Public Access Defibrillators to ensure they are in working order and ready to be used in an emergency.
SJARS Head of Quality and Patient Safety, Aimee Lihou said: “St John Lifesavers is a great opportunity for islanders to make a difference when it really matters. There is a long tradition of people in Alderney volunteering to support their community in a number of ways, and this scheme will help meet the unique needs of the island and provide additional resilience for the ambulance service.
“These are unpaid roles, but volunteers will gain valuable life skills and will be giving back to their community. St John will provide training and education, equipment, support and uniforms.
“Although distances are relatively small in Alderney, having a trained volunteer with the right equipment available to give immediate care in the minutes before the ambulance arrives can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. The Community First Responder scheme in Guernsey has proved hugely beneficial so we will be building on the Guernsey experience and adapting the scheme for Alderney. Likewise, the Volunteer Ambulance Reserve have made a huge contribution to supporting the ambulance service, as we witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
St John Ambulance and Rescue Service provides the ambulance service in Alderney on behalf of the States of Alderney. The Alderney service is a satellite station of the Guernsey organisation, operating under the same clinical governance framework, and with ongoing support, leadership and oversight provided by senior staff in Guernsey.
The service employs a small team of full-time and part-time staff who are on call 24/7 on a rota basis. The full time Alderney ambulance crew are trained and qualified to a nationally recognised level in patient care and emergency driving.
Islanders have the opportunity to find out more about the St John Lifesaver scheme and register their interest at the Health & Social Care Open Day at the Mignot Memorial Hospital on Saturday 17th between 10:00 am and 4.00pm.
An assessment day is scheduled to take place in Alderney on Saturday 9th September, where applicants will be assessed on teamwork, communication and physical fitness.
(Photos: Simulation and training excercise in Alderney)
Head of Operations Dean de la Mare and Paramedic Nick Peters will represent Guernsey’s St John Ambulance & Rescue Service at the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in London on Saturday 6 May. Dean and Nick will be part of the Uniformed Civilian Services contingent which will line the streets for Whitehall section of the King’s procession which will travel between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
Dean and Nick are both members of the ambulance service colour party and have represented St John at numerous ceremonial events and parades locally, including the Liberation Day church service and Remembrance Sunday.
Long serving volunteer Alan Stevens will represent the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity at the event in London. Alan has been a member of St John for more than 45 years having joined as a Cadet at the age of 12. Alan has been a member of the standard party for several years and also regularly takes part in ceremonial events in Guernsey.
Around 200 members of uniformed civilian services, including fire, police, coastguard, WRVS and prison service have been invited to take part in the celebrations and will be positioned five paces apart along the procession route. Members of the contingent will remain on parade during the Coronation itself, and will stay in place for the parade back to Buckingham Palace following the Coronation.
Dean de la Mare said: “It is a great honour to represent Guernsey’s ambulance service and be invited to take part in the King’s Coronation. There is a longstanding bond between the emergency services and the monarchy, and King Charles is also the Sovereign Head of the Order of St John.
A lot of logistical and operational planning goes into every ceremonial event and the King’s procession will be no exception. A high level of professionalism will be expected from everyone involved. We will be wearing our dress uniform and white gloves and there will be just a brief opportunity to rehearse the drill on the evening before the parade.”
Meanwhile in Guernsey, Paul Philips will represent the ambulance service at the Coronation parade which will assemble at Belvedere, Fort George on Saturday morning and march down the Val des Terres to the Model Yacht Pond. Volunteers Robin Gonard, Jacqueline Hancock and Tanya Goubert will form the colour party for the St John Ambulance charity for the Guernsey parade.
On Sunday Aimee Lihou, Head of Quality and Patient Safety, will represent the Ambulance & Rescue Service at the Coronation Church Service at the Town Church, St Peter Port.
Volunteers from the St John Ambulance charity will also be on duty providing first aid cover at a number of public events in Guernsey over the weekend, as well as Liberation Day events later in the week.
(Photo credit: Chris Jackson)
SJARS has recruited four new employees from the local community in Alderney and has been working with the States of Alderney and the Committee for Health and Social Care to put plans and policies in place for the new model of ambulance provision.
It follows the announcement made by the States of Alderney in October 2022, when it was agreed that SJARS would be commissioned to take operational responsibility of the ambulance service in Alderney from the start of April 2023.
Until St John Ambulance & Rescue Service assumes operational responsibility for the new service in April, the Alderney ambulance service is currently staffed by agency personnel from a UK based independent ambulance provider, commissioned by and reporting to the States of Alderney
Four new staff members, who will be employed by St John Ambulance & Rescue Service Guernsey as Emergency Ambulance Crew, they all Alderney residents and some have had an involvement with the ambulance service in Alderney in the past. The new team has been undergoing a programme of clinical and driver training, both in Alderney and Guernsey. The Alderney crews will be supported by experienced clinicians from Guernsey to complete their training, with ongoing support, leadership and oversight provided by senior staff in Guernsey.
Aimee Lihou, Head of Quality & Patient Safety said: “The Alderney staff are nearing the completion of their initial training and have been gaining valuable on the road experience with clinicians in Guernsey, which has given them exposure to a range of medical and trauma cases. When they first become operational in Alderney they will initially be supported by a member of Guernsey staff who will be stationed temporarily in Alderney, then as part of the new model for the Alderney ambulance service, we will give ongoing support with oversight from Guernsey. The crews will have 24/7 access by phone to senior ambulance clinicians based in Guernsey, as well as access to Alderney’s Island Medical Centre.”
The Alderney ambulance service will operate as an extension of the Guernsey service, under the clinical governance framework and leadership of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service with training and development opportunities aligned to the Guernsey operation.
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