St John Ambulance volunteers help gas leak evacuees

First aid volunteers keeping people warm

A team of volunteers from St John Ambulance came to the aid of local people in Havant, Hampshire, at 4am on Monday 18 January when 60 local residents were evacuated from their flats by police after a gas leak.

Six volunteers were called out as part of the emergency response just after 3.30am and within 15 minutes arrived at Havant Leisure Centre with two ambulances, blankets and activities for children.

Volunteer Rob Ferre, 30, is the duty officer at the Emergency Rest Centre: ‘We have been providing support, reassurance, teas and coffees and blankets.

‘We also had to find some emergency nappies for a baby and arrange for police to escort some residents back to their flats for essential medication.’

The St John Ambulance team will be on duty at the Rest Centre until it closes early this afternoon. The team was joined by volunteers from the WRVS, who helped make bacon sandwiches for the evacuees.