Peoples Stories - Bevendean History Project
Douglas Victor Brown's Life Story
Retirement
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| Douglas Brown’s retirement presentation in 1991 |
After I left I heard that new chief ambulance
officer had made all of the experienced staff, both Officers and men,
reapply for their own jobs and at a very reduced rate of pay and
conditions. Most of the older officers didn’t get a chance, he
just made them redundant. I would have been among them. He replaced
them with young staff at much lower wages. We have all heard the same
old story. It was done to improve the Service, nothing to do with
saving money then.
The heart trouble got me out at the right time, and on sickness grounds, not on the poor redundancy payments being made.
Over the years I must have attended thousands of emergencies and met people from all walks of life from down and out drunks and dangerous mental cases, to some very rich and titled people. I made many good friends and I expect I upset a few others. But you could not wish for a better job. It was different every day; you never knew what you would be getting into when you went out on your next call.
People often ask me how one puts up with dealing with blood and pain every day. The answer is that it was very hard at first but you did soon get used to it and it was good to know that you were being of some help to someone and it felt great, if now and again you were able to save someone’s life.
One thing I did hate was to have to tell a relative that there was nothing more you could do to help, as the patient was dead. If this was the case of a cot death it was especially difficult having to tell a mother that her baby was dead. I really hated that part of the job and I must have had to do it on many occasions over the years, I am sad to say.
© Douglas Brown 2014
The heart trouble got me out at the right time, and on sickness grounds, not on the poor redundancy payments being made.
Over the years I must have attended thousands of emergencies and met people from all walks of life from down and out drunks and dangerous mental cases, to some very rich and titled people. I made many good friends and I expect I upset a few others. But you could not wish for a better job. It was different every day; you never knew what you would be getting into when you went out on your next call.
People often ask me how one puts up with dealing with blood and pain every day. The answer is that it was very hard at first but you did soon get used to it and it was good to know that you were being of some help to someone and it felt great, if now and again you were able to save someone’s life.
One thing I did hate was to have to tell a relative that there was nothing more you could do to help, as the patient was dead. If this was the case of a cot death it was especially difficult having to tell a mother that her baby was dead. I really hated that part of the job and I must have had to do it on many occasions over the years, I am sad to say.
© Douglas Brown 2014
Part 5 Further Memories of the Brighton Ambulance Service
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