Redbridge ambulance worker retires after 42 years

A Redbridge ambulance worker has retired after serving London for 42 years.

Dave Hartshorn, 61, from Woodford Green, started working on an ambulance in Shoreditch in 1966. Since then he has worked in the control room, run an ambulance station, and for the last 11 years has been a Logistics Manager based at Ilford.

Dave said, "I've had a great time working for the Service, and I'm really sorry to go. There's a really good camaraderie here and everyone's very nice to work with. It seems like only yesterday that I went out on my first shift!

"A lot of the technology has changed since then - we used to have bells on the ambulance and the control room was run on paper. Now it's blue lights and sirens and computers, but essentially our work of caring for patients has remained the same."

Dave, who has also been a local magistrate for 29 years, has attended many incidents in his career including the Bishopsgate bombing in 1993 and the Old Bailey bombing in 1973.

Deputy Director of Operations Richard Webber said, "Dave has had a tremendous career spanning 42 years with the Service. We'll be sorry to see him go and wish him all the best for his retirement."