Training for Ambulance/Fire Engine drivers?

[Getrag]

After just watching a speeding ambulance take a roundabout the wrong way with comedy-like body roll, I wondered, what sort of training do they get. The same goes for fire-engines. Do the drivers of these get specialised training, or is it watch and learn. How long do they get and how are they taught if you know?

On a side note, have you seen any note worthy driving from the emergency services. I once saw the result of a fire-engine punt a stationary car through a lamp post

[gtir]

I think they follow the same advance driving course as the plod get, with some alterations.

[RedTeg]

IIRC the Fire Brigade drivers start with a non artic truck to train in much the same way as truck/bus drivers. Eventually they end up with the proper speed/progressive driving training and examinations on public roads (nsl roads) not entirely unlike traffic cops like gtir says.

I would guess that ambulance drivers are all ex-white van persons that require no further training.

[Gargamel]

Ambulance drivers areall trained to drive a t speed in traffic - there was a documentary about them

some girl in berkshire with a 5l chevvy truck... most of the test seemed to be about braking in an emegency

[Mel]

Years ago I went and did a course that allowed me to drive a V8 Land Rover and a Variety of "breathed on" transit vans under blue lights with trailers on the back, and rubber boats on the roof, my course was 3 days with a plod hooning round the country side in Peugeot 405 estate, and had no relevants at all. My ex sister in law is a Paramedic and had a much higher level of training than me, the biggest difference was she had to do it for real several times a day, I only got to misbehave once a month or so and If I'm honest was really good enough or competant to be doing it (it was still good fun though

[loaf]

In London the driving course forms three weeks of the 17 week course. It starts off in saloon cars, progresses to a minibus and finally the big white box (3.5l V8 in our ambos )

My voluntary service has an 8-day shortened version - we don't do as much classroom based stuff - where we get taught by LAS instructors how to drive according to the same system as the fulltimers. The course differs from the BiB and fire service insofar as we have to learn to drive more 'sympathetically' - a fire truck/police car rarely has a heart attack/ spinal/chest pain/head injury patient in the back on a stretcher, with your mate standing up in the back treating him, y'see...but the basics are the same.