Cornwall Air Ambulance has two new air crew paramedics, who will officially begin their secondment to the dedicated team on the air ambulance during June. Steve Garvy and Scott Marshall will join CSO Richard and paramedics Mick, Neil and Mark, to complete the 6 person team who will serve together for the next 18 months. The 6 week recruitment process included fitness tests, clinical assessments and scenarios, interview panels and presentations, and an external assessment day completing tasks designed to test all the skills and attributes an air crew paramedic is likely to need.

Charity Chief Executive Paula Hichens said "There is something uniquely special about Cornwall’s air ambulance that makes it a popular career choice for many paramedics, and this time around was no exception, with high numbers applying for just two places. From an eventual shortlist of 13, Steve and Scott eventually won through, and thoroughly deserve their place on board the helicopter".

Both new air crew will be fitted up for their red flying suits and flying helmets, and they will spend two weeks on intensive training, covering a whole range of new skills. These include aircraft emergencies, meteorology, map studies, navigation, basic engineering and re-fuelling, and patient care on board, including using special equipment for monitoring and resuscitation. Scott and Steve will be taken through a number of dummy exercises, drills and debrief sessions, to bring them up to speed with working on and around the aircraft. At the end of this, both fully fledged air crew paramedics, who are said to be "simply over the moon", will join the crew rota during June.

Scott and Steve are replacing Nick, who left the team during 2008 to pursue his former career in ocean surveying, and Iain, who has served one of the longest terms on Cornwall’s air ambulance helicopter. Many air lifted patients and their families, will be disappointed to hear that Iain is stepping down this time around, and everyone at charity HQ wants to say a very big thank you to Iain, for being a brilliant, dedicated and fun member of the team, and especially for giving his own time and volunteering for us at charity fundraising events in the community. We all wish him well with his degree, and the next stage of his medical professional career.