Goodbye to longest-serving medic Gary

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Gary talking to supporters at the Kent Air Ambulance Open Day in Marden

Staff at Kent Air Ambulance have bid a fond farewell to their longest-serving paramedic Gary Balderston.

 

Gary, nicknamed 'biscuit' after the Garibaldi snack, joined the life-saving charity as a paramedic in May, 2003, after serving as an ambulance technician in Medway.

 

The father of four, from Chatham, has since flown on more than 1,500 missions and treated nearly 800 patients in his seven-year stint at the ambulance's Marden headquarters.

 

After spending 600 hours in the sky, he is now leaving to study a Masters degree at Hertfordshire University and become a Critical Care Paramedic.

 

He said: "It's sad because I've been here a long time and spent more time here than on the road. I don't want to leave but it's just progression really.

 

"Because it's quite high profile working here, a few of the patients come back and say thank you which is incredible.

 

"I also feel very humbled to have met some of the multitude of loyal, hard-working fundraisers who have helped keep the trust running for so many years."

 

Paramedics usually serve no more than three years on the helicopter but Gary has twice extended his time with the Trust.

 

Clinical manager Rob Wilkinson and Critical Care Paramedic Peter Tucker have been employed longer but have returned after career breaks.

 

Gary's first-ever call-out on the MD902 helicopter was to successfully treat a child with a peanut allergy who suffered anaphylactic shock.

 

His last mission was to airlift a heavily pregnant woman to Darent Valley Hospital after a car explosion in Vigo near Meopham, last Friday (March 5^th).

 

But his fondest memory is of a child who thanked him for saving his life during a school visit after being kicked by a horse several months earlier.

 

He said: "It was quite emotional and that is the one that really sticks in my head."

 

During his long service, Gary has seen the arrival of specialist doctors on the helicopter to provide mini Accident and Emergency departments at the scene.

 

He also helped man the helicopter emergency medical service 'nerve centre' at Coxheath where all 999 calls are received.

 

And he has seen the number of flying hours increased from 10 to 12 hours, seven days a week, all year round, and the launch of the sister Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance in 2007.

 

Although he is leaving, Gary will still be taking part in a five-day bike ride in Cuba in November to help raise funds for the life-saving charity which needs £1.7m-a-year to stay airborne.

 

Chief executive John Tickner said: "Gary will have seen and been a part of some very significant changes in the clinical service that the Air Ambulance provides. We will be very sorry to lose him but understand that he also has to move on and we wish him the very best of luck."

 

Gary joined the ambulance service as a technician in 2000, working out of Medway station.

 

He is also a member of St John's Ambulance youth department and county adventure team, training 15 to 18-year-olds in first aid, map craft and general life skills.