On Monday we had a visit from Niall and Laura who are both paramedics. They talked to us about their job and the uniform that they wear. We learned that they help people who are ill and how an ambulance is used to transport them to hospital. They reminded us about phoning 999 in an emergency and how important it is to know our address so that the emergency service we need will know where to go in order to help us. The children listened very carefully during the talk and were keen to share their own experiences of the emergency services.

‘I’ve been in an ambulance before.’

‘My grandad is a paramedic.’

‘I’ve seen blue flashing lights.’

We then took it in turns to go outside in two groups to see the ambulance which was parked in the playground. The children had the opportunity to go inside the ambulance and Laura explained what some of the equipment is used for. She showed us the oxygen tanks and some of the children were keen to have their oxygen saturation levels measured by having a small device clipped onto their finger. The children were able to see their readings which were displayed on a small screen.

‘My number is going up.’

‘The ambulance is very clean and tidy.’

‘What’s inside the cupboard?’

The children enjoyed having the opportunity to lie down on the ambulance trolley. Once they were strapped in, Niall raised them up and down by pressing a button. He also demonstrated how certain injuries are treated using a leg splint or by applying bandages.

‘I liked going up and down on the trolley.’

‘I am going to keep my bandage on all day.’

We watched from the window as the ambulance left and saw the blue lights flashing and heard the siren. The visit provided a great learning experience for the children and inspired their play later that day and for the remainder of the week.

‘Quick, there is an emergency!’

‘I’m calling 999 because we need an ambulance.’

‘The police will be here soon.’