STOURBRIDGE students joined West Midlands Ambulance Service staff recently to experience what it is like to work for the organisation.

Ranging from pupils in years 10 to 12, youngsters spent the week at Dudley Hub, in Burton Road, as part of the trust’s work experience programme.

The 12-strong group met a range of operational staff, including paramedics from the trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and motorbike paramedic Mark Hayes to find out more about their roles and responsibilities.

Tom Partridge, of Summerhill School in Kingswinford, said: “It has been a really interesting week and I’ve gained lots of information about what the ambulance service does.

“Being a paramedic wasn’t something I had thought about doing before, even though my dad is already one, but now it is something I would be really interested in.

“As well as learning lots about the service and the wide variety of calls that people make to 999, I’ve also made lots of friends this week, it has been a really good experience.”

Among the activities the students took part in where learning how 999 calls are handled, basic life support, how to use a defibrillator, what causes a cardiac arrest and the work of community first responders.

They also got to explore the back of an ambulance and sample some of the various equipment staff use on a daily basis to treat patients.

Diane Pittom, the trust’s organisational development officer, said: “It has been a really enjoyable week and we have been pleased to host another group of very keen students.

“They have shown great enthusiasm to learn and hopefully this has given them an appetite to apply for jobs with us in the future.”