From the mid 1980s until 2017, I was in the fortunate position of serving in the ‘real’ fourth Emergency Service – Her Majesty’s Coastguard. I joined the Swansea Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre as an Auxiliary Coastguard in 1986 and became a member of the Mumbles Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) the following year. I received a Coastguard Long Service Medal after 20 years of service in 2006 and a clasp to the LSM in 2016 after a further 10 years as a member of the rescue team.

In addition, I’ve been the coordinator for the Mumbles Community First Responder Team, which responds to 999 calls on behalf of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, since the team was founded in 2009. The team responds to a range of incidents, including cardiac arrests, falls, chest pains, strokes and breathing difficulties. Each team member is equipped with a Defibrillator and a Response Bag, which contains equipment such as oxygen, airway management tools and advanced wound control (including tourniquets).

Finally, I’ve also been a Trustee of the Wales Air Ambulance since the Charity was launched in 2001, which came about thanks to my interest in pre-hospital care, combined with my media work and the fact that I held a helicopter Private Pilot’s Licence  for several years.

It might sound strange, but I have to say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as a Coastguard and First Responder and my involvement with the Air Ambulance. Being a member of the ‘blue light’ services, even a part-time one, makes me appreciate that what I do for a living isn’t actually the most important of jobs and that ‘teamwork’ means something totally different when you’re out on a search at 3am in awful weather…..