Ambulance control room staff take on ice bucket challenge!

Thursday 28^th August 2014 – 8.20am – Claire Brown.

After a busy 12 hour night shift in two of the busiest emergency services control rooms in the country, getting your head down for a sleep is usually the number one priority for the majority of staff.

So imagine the horror that instead of a nice warm bed, all they face is a bucket of ice cold water over their heads! The only consolation is that it’s all in aid of a really good cause – motor neurone disease.

Today, 34 staff from West Midland Ambulance Service’s two Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in Brierley Hill and Stafford took up the challenge that is sweeping the world after being nominated by colleagues.

Started in the US, the ice bucket challenge has raised £48 million in less than a month for ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), known as motor neurone disease (MND) in the UK. The disease affects the brain and the spinal cord causing motor neurones to degenerate and die, leading to gradual paralysis and eventually death.

The staff, from EOC Team 1, clocked off after their 12 hour shift at 7.00am this morning to face the icy challenge in their uniform before heading to bed. Rob Kelly, EOC Duty Manager at Millennium Point, led the team of 24 out to the car park after work. At the same time in Tollgate’s control room car park in Stafford, EOC Duty Manager Ellen Mowe joined nine other colleagues for the challenge before home time.

Jeremy Brown, EOC General Manager, said: “This morning’s ice bucket challenge was a real team effort from the Trust’s control room staff across both sites and they should be really proud of their achievement. Well done!”

The only question now is, will the nominated people take on the challenge? Well done to all the control room staff for completing the challenge and donating to the UK Motor Neurone Disease Association. To donate, text ICED55 and then the amount you want to donate to 70070 or visit www.mndassociation.org.

 

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

The ice bucket challenge team from Millennium Point EOC in Brierley Hill were (name – job title – where they live):

• Rob Kelly – Duty Manager – Stourbridge
• Phil Vallings – Controller – Dudley
• Sue Hinton – Controller – Worcester
• Melissa Price – Controller – Worcester
• Laura Nicholas – Controller – Brierley Hill
• Alex Chilton – Controller – Great Wyrley
• Marie Bridgewater – Controller – Wordsley
• Laura Palmer – Controller – Bloxwich
• Liz Kirkham – Dispatcher – Halesowen
• Amy Gregory – Dispatcher – Kidderminster
• Nicola Gibson – Dispatcher – Halesowen
• Emma Whitehouse – Dispatcher – Brierley Hill
• Vicky Jackson-Tait – Dispatcher – Wolverhampton
• Dan Walsh – Dispatcher – Norton Canes
• Carol Sandland – Dispatcher – Great Wyrley
• Toni Williams – Call Taker – Stourport-on-Severn
• Arvinder Atwal – Call Taker – Oldbury
• Danielle Noble – Call Taker – Rowley Regis
• Abbie Meehan – Call Taker – Wolverhampton
• Lauren Magson – Caller Taker – Brierley Hill
• Gail Digger – Incident Command Desk Supervisor – Worcester
• Pam Cope – Hospital Desk Supervisor – Stourbridge
• Mandy Dennis – Dispatcher – Worcester
• Stephanie Lloyd-Elwell – Call Assessor Supervisor – Dudley

The ice bucket challenge team from Tollgate EOC in Stafford were (name – job title – where they live):

Ellen Mowe – Duty Manager – Barwell, Leicesestershire

Scott Greenwood – Controller – Church Leigh, Staffordshire

Samantha Fullarton – Controller – Coventry

Martine Abbott – Paramedic Clinical Support Desk – Burntwood

Fiona James – Dispatcher – Stafford

Lee Preston – Dispatcher – Great Wyrley

Sarah Bamber – Call Taker – Stafford

Liam Stafford – Call Taker – Newport

John Goold – Call Taker – Newport

Chris Green – Controller – Rugeley