TWO newly qualified specialist paramedics in critical care at Wiltshire Air Ambulance have praised people who fundraise for the charity.

Dan Tucker and Fred Thompson say it’s thanks to people who donate and fundraise that they and their colleagues are able to save lives.

Dan, 42, who lives in Melksham, said: “Wiltshire Air Ambulance is a really important part of our community that gives the chance of life to many people who would otherwise not make it due to the rural nature of Wiltshire. The people who donate and fundraise for us are literally making the difference between life and death, because without their donations we wouldn’t be able to provide the service we do.”

Fred, 45, who lives in Bristol, has fundraised for the charity by running the Bath Half Marathon in 2017.

He said: “Every pound counts and the charity makes sure that it supports all its employees, volunteers and patients. It’s great to see how such a small county, in terms of population, supports their air ambulance.”

Both Fred and Dan joined Wiltshire Air Ambulance in June 2015 and became specialist critical care paramedics after demonstrating competency in administering drugs for pain relief and sedation, carrying out surgical techniques as well as completing postgraduate certificates. Fred has also achieved a postgraduate diploma.

Their training, which also includes aviation skills, has been funded by the charity.

Before joining Wiltshire Air Ambulance Fred, who is married with two daughters, worked as an ambulance operations officer in Bristol and before that he was a paramedic based at Swindon Ambulance Station.

He said: “Working at Wiltshire Air Ambulance is great. I feel privileged to be able to come to work knowing what a great team we have and our ability to make a difference really counts.”

Dan, who is married with three daughters, joined Wiltshire Air Ambulance after working as a paramedic based at Bath Ambulance Station for ten years, including as a mentor to other paramedics.

He said: “Working at Wiltshire Air Ambulance is an exhilarating job and I love working in an environment that challenges me every day. The new airbase, at Semington, is a great place to work and having the whole team together makes day-to-day operations far more effective.”