Interview: Team's female faces ready to answer lifesaving call

"When the bleep goes we have 10 minutes to run, often in six-inch heels, to the roof of the hospital, change from our work clothes into our firefighters uniform and be ready for the air ambulance to land," explains Denise. "Even if we are in the middle of a meeting we just have to excuse ourselves and run."

Every hospital which has a helipad has to have its own civilian fire crew trained to deal with any emergency that may occur, and that doesn't just mean if the helicopter were to have an accident on landing or take-off.

"It isn't like ER,"explains Paul Curroto, "doctors and nurses aren't allowed onto the helipad so all the helicopter deck firefighters have to be trained in first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to assist the paramedics on the air ambulance if necessary. They really are life savers and heroes," says Paul whose "day job" is a facilities manager for the hospital's postal services. Four members of the LGI deck team have received commendations for carrying out CPR on patients as they were transported from the roof down to the operating theatre. It is a far cry from their day jobs as porters, cleaners and ancillary staff

at the hospital. Doctors and nurses are not allowed to join the crew.

It was this life-saving aspect to the job which attracted Denise, facilities manager in charge of the hospital's cleaning team and Kay, facilities manager in charge of the porters, to the job.

"We have important support jobs in the hospital, but we don't have a great deal of patient contact," explains Denise. "This way we are really helping patients and could even save their lives."

Paul explained that the fire crew is a vital safety component of any landing, as without their presence life-saving helicopters would not be able to land on the roof of the LGI's Jubilee Building. A three-strong crew needs to be in place to deal with any emergency, to keep the aircraft, its crew and passengers, as well as the hospital, as safe as possible.

"A helicopter can be here in 16 minutes from any part of Yorkshire," says Paul who added that the helipad can take air ambulances from across the region and beyond as well as military helicopters.

"It is normally casualties from RTAs (road traffic accidents) but our biggest incident was when nine members of a Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme got stranded and a Sea King brought them all in at the same time."

The LGI team are all existing facilities staff who volunteered to train as part-time fire crew, working on a rota which fits around their everyday jobs. Air safety regulations means fire crews have to be able to be deployed within minutes to facilitate every landing, seven days a week. The original nine-strong crew which has been in existence since 1997, was recently expanded to 15 to allow the helipad to be operational from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, 365 days a year handling hundreds of helicopter landings.

Kay and Denise were part of the new crew members recruited earlier this year which also includes male colleagues Arran Richardson, Simon Cooper, Paul Queenly and Nigel Greaves.

"The rest of the crew members have been great to us," says Kay, whose daughter also works in the hospital. "They have been really supportive and we can have a laugh with them as well. It's something I have always been interested in and thought I would love to do. I was expecting a few comments about us being the first two women to be trained but the reaction from the lads has been really positive and supportive."

But joking aside, both Denise and Kay are well aware that they have to pull their weight in the team or lives would be at risk. All crew members had to undergo rigorous fitness and health assessment as well as specialist training.

"Every member of the team has to be able to work by themselves. The kit and breathing apparatus weighs three-and-half stone on top of their own body weight," explains Paul.

"The hose carries a lot of pressure and the women have to be able to handle it like any other member of the crew."

As a result, the training the women have had to go through has been pretty vigorous.

"We knew the training would be hard but didn't realise quite how gruelling it would be until we got started. It has been worth it though and although doing my first real landing was nerve-racking it feels very worthwhile."

One problem Kay and Denise encountered during intensive training at Teesside Airport was finding boots small enough to fit them.

"I had to wear four pairs of socks and that was in a size four," says Denise.

This equipment glitch aside, however, they performed impressively during the course and became fully accredited fire crew in April. They will take their breathing apparatus test in October.

Paul adds: "This is a very physical job but there is no reason women cannot do it every bit as well as men, and I am delighted Kay and Denise have proved their abilities and completed their training with flying colours.

"It is a very demanding role and is not for everybody, but they have shown real enthusiasm and have been warmly welcomed into the team.

"At the LGI we have led the way for the NHS with helicopter safety and we are proud to have secured another national first."

The helipad crew are in training for the Leeds 10k Run for All this weekend. They are fund-raising towards buying new lights for the roof of the hospital which will allow the helipad to be operational between 8am and 8pm even in the winter.

To sponsor the crew, contact the hospital's charity officer on 0113 392 6803.