A FORMER police inspector who was part of the pioneering crew that helped pave the way for the development of Wiltshire Air Ambulance has shared his memories.

Brian Murdoch, who lives in Bishopstone, was involved in setting up the Air Support Unit (ASU) and was in charge of it when it began operating full-time from 1990. He worked there until 1993.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance, which celebrates its 30th anniversary, shared a helicopter with Wiltshire Police from March 15, 1990 to December 31, 2014. It was not until January 2015, that Wiltshire Air Ambulance became a stand-alone air ambulance using a Bell 429 helicopter and in May 2018 the charity moved into its purpose-built airbase in Semington.

Brian, who is now retired, said: “It was wonderful working on the joint helicopter. Wiltshire Police’s motto was ‘first and best’ and we laid claim to that for the ASU because we were the first combined police helicopter and air ambulance in the country.”

Brian says before the founding of the joint unit the police force would hire a helicopter, which started off just covering the Solstice festival then progressing to working a few months each year.

He said the idea for the unit was sparked after an incident in Lacock where a casualty had to be airlifted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath. The police were approached by the ambulance service to see if it could provide any kit to help.

A trial of the joint unit proved a success and it was later decided to run it on a full-time basis.

"I was very lucky to have secured the job, both part time and then eventually to develop and run the unit," explains Brian, who says he was in "right place at the right time".

"I enjoyed every moment of it."

On being part of the pioneering unit, he added: "It was very rewarding. As an individual it opened up a whole new sphere of things, particularly working with the ambulance paramedics.

"It was decided early on that we would train the paramedics to be a second police observer so if the aircraft deployed they did things like video and map reading. Equally, the pilots and police officers were trained to support the paramedics. It worked very well."

The helicopter would be called out to major crimes, missing persons, vehicle pursuits as well as medical incidents.

"From Devizes, the unit could reach the furthest most point of the county within 17 minutes. In terms of the ambulance side of things that is well within that "golden hour" they talk about getting to patients," continued Brian.

Brian was in the police force for 33 years and served in the ASU for five years, which was based at police headquarters in Devizes. Prior to his ASU role he worked as an inspector in Salisbury.

On what he enjoyed most about his time in the ASU, he said: "Being up there and looking at that sky and down on the whole of Wiltshire and knowing full well when you came back many times you actually did save a life."

He said there was nothing better than having people they had helped come back to the unit to say thank you.

"The rewarding side for me is a more modern aspect of policing together with the added bonus of working with a different emergency service and that work extremely well. There wasn't a them and us attitude. And to work with people like that, dedicated professionals in a different aspect of emergency service. That dedication is still readily apparent these days.

"They've got a bigger aircraft and lots of equipment but they still have got that same commitment and enthusiasm."

Brian joined other pilots, police officers and paramedics who were part of the early, pioneering aircrew for a visit to the air ambulances base in Semington.

“It’s wonderful to see how Wiltshire Air Ambulance has developed. While technology has moved on, what hasn’t changed among the team is the nucleus of professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment," he said.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance is called to, on average, three incidents a day in its helicopter and rapid response vehicles. In 2019, it carried out 1,233 missions, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year.

Kevin Reed, a former police officer who worked at the ASU and is now head of facilities and security at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “We owe everyone who worked at the ASU our gratitude, as collectively they helped paved the way for the development of Wiltshire Air Ambulance to what it is today - a stand-alone air ambulance delivering critical care to people who are seriously injured or unwell.”

To find out more go to wiltshireairambulance.co.uk