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Chris

Name: Chris Blunsdon 

Job title: Emergency Care Assistant working out of Middlesbrough Ambulance Station. I am currently at university to become a paramedic and will qualify in 2023.

Army Regiment: 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. 

Duration served: 6 years from 2002 to 2008 

Where did you serve?

Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq with overseas training in Belize, Germany, and Cyprus.  

How long have you been at NEAS? 

Since 2014.  

Why did you choose to work at NEAS?

I chose NEAS because it’s my local ambulance service. I wanted to be part of pre-hospital care because of previous training I’d done in the military. I became aware of what the ambulance service provided through research and speaking to ambulance staff while working as a health care assistant for a hospital trust. 

What transferable skills do you have from the army?

I learned many skills during my time in the military, a lot of which are transferable to the ambulance service. The most obvious thing is communication. Being adaptable with language and using aids is a good way to deal with some barriers. Having the ability to communicate in a digital format is also a key part of my role. I gained an NVQ in computing during my Army career and I use that on a daily basis, especially when writing reports. Both teamwork and having self-motivation are essential and the military definitely helped. It is hard to list certain skills because it becomes part of who you are, you do things without knowingly doing so. 

What does Remembrance Day mean to you?

Remembrance Day for me is about taking a time to reflect on the past and present. I think about different things the military has done for us all to live how we do today. I think of the good times and of the losses and sacrifices that I was a part of and of those that predate my service.