"I knew I wanted to do something different and I didn't want to be behind a desk any more. And while I had no experience with cars, I have always been good at fixing things. Now, when I fix a vehicle and get it back on the road, I know it's going out to help someone and could save a life. That's a really nice feeling."
"When something is wrong with an ambulance, you are looking at all the symptoms—what it sounds like, what it looks like, even the smell. We will start to investigate and try to work out the cause. A bit like a paramedic does with a patient. You use your experience, your senses and the diagnostic tools to piece it together and get to the root of the problem."
"We are always mindful of the responsibility we carry. We don't just fix the engines, we are responsible for maintaining much of the equipment too—like the stretchers, the chairs, the sirens and the blue lights. We take a lot of pride in what we do because we know how important these vehicles are."
Charlotte Stanford, 38, joined the London Ambulance Service as an apprentice mechanic over a year ago, leaving her corporate PR career to pursue manual work. Based at Fulham Ambulance Station, she works in LAS's in-house workshop servicing and repairing ambulances and response vehicles. Stanford approaches vehicle diagnostics similarly to paramedic patient assessment, using observation, senses, and diagnostic tools to identify and resolve mechanical issues. She emphasizes the responsibility of maintaining not just engines but also critical equipment like stretchers, sirens, and lights. Her work ensures ambulances return to frontline duty quickly and safely. Currently the only woman in her mechanic team, Stanford hopes to inspire more women to join the service.
Read at www.bbc.com
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