Cannock Soroptimists were entertained by their after dinner speaker Geoff Brookes, who provided them with an amusing account of his life in the Staffordshire Ambulance Service which spanned 25 years. Geoff began his career as an ambulance driver at a time when the role of the ambulance technician did not exist, however he soon grabbed the opportunity of this further development in emergency work to undertake the training at Pelsall Ambulance Training Centre. He enjoyed the role so much he became a senior training instructor, later using his skills and expertise to provide lifesaving training in schools around Staffordshire.
During his long service Geoff saw many changes, not all of which he approved, for example the increase in violence against emergency staff which he attributes to drugs and alcohol misuse. Jeff shared some of the “highs and lows” of his 25 years in the service, being especially proud of having helped to deliver babies, some of which were in unusual circumstances. One concerned a young girl who had concealed her pregnancy, giving birth at home to the astonishment of her parents. Another was having to deliver a baby who couldn’t wait in the hospital lift. Sadly, he also witnessed a number of cot deaths.
There were also some amusing anecdotes such as the incident when a man was thought to be drowning while in reality he was found to have been snorkelling and an unusual call out to man who suffered a heart attack working at the top of the Rugeley Power station who had to be brought down by the Fire service before he could be tended. Geoff has been heavily involved in charity work and was rewarded for his efforts by the Queen with a Golden Jubilee medal having raised £24,000. He was also congratulated by Tony Blair and earned himself a citation in the Guinness Book of Records as one of a team that performed 150 hours of CPR, an achievement which currently is unchallenged. When she gave the vote of thanks, Carole Holdcroft presented Geoff with a small donation for Stafford Stroke Club of which he is the chairman.