A NWAS Senior Paramedic has been given the proud honour to represent ambulance services all over the country this Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in London.
Dominic Gething, a Senior Paramedic Team Leader in Penrith will be part of the Civilian Service Contingent at the memorial on the 8th November.
Every year the CSC is made up of nominated representatives from all the UK’s statutory ambulance services, police forces, fire and rescues services, St John Ambulance, British Red Cross, probation services, and Women’s Royal Voluntarily Service. However as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, the numbers allowed to attend have been vastly reduced, meaning Dominic will be the sole representative for not only the North West but the whole United Kingdom.
He will be required to form part of a guard of honour around the Cenotaph on Whitehall, where HM The Queen and Prime Minister will lay wreaths just before 11 o’clock prior to the national two minute silence.
He was nominated by one of his colleagues and as restrictions got tighter was whittled to down to be the only representative of the ambulance services across the UK.
“It’s an amazing honour and an opportunity of lifetime,” Dominic said,
“I don’t feel I’ve done anything special, just incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time I guess”.
Dominic has strong military background and has been a member of ambulance service for 14 years joining what was the Cumbrian Ambulance Service in 2006, he also has a been an army reservist for 10 years as member of the 201 Field Hospital unit in Newcastle.
Dominic added, “I was in the marines before joining the ambulance service, my dad was in the army and my brother is a member of the police, so I feel and incredible sense of duty to give respects to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in battle for our freedoms. But I also feel the weight of representing all my colleagues throughout the country. I’ve lost friends to mental health issues and I’m well aware of all the little unseen sacrifices we give every day in our roles, and I will also be honouring that on Sunday.”
