There are no dedicated ambulances serving the Forest. On duty ambulances in the county serve the Gloucestershire population. Where any ambulance is at any given time depends on a number of factors.

Predicted demand will see an ambulance at a particular standby point. An emergency ambulance may have taken a patient to hospital and will go from there to another patient or standby elsewhere.

How many ambulances are actually available will very often depend on the speed of patient handover at emergency departments. The Forest is usually very well covered.

First responders are well trained and form a significant part of the response to a 999 call.

The Forest is very well served by these responders, who save lives, as a result of gettting to patients quickly.

I had the privilege, some time ago, of watching firemen being rigorously trained to do the job.

Foresters should be very pleased that they are there to serve. Other parts of the county are not so fortunate

– Albert Weager (PPI rep for ambulance services in Gloucestershire), 41 Coaway Road, Coleford.