Former postman becomes Air Ambulance medic

Mar 10 2010 By Vicki Eltis

Jon Sanders, 39, has joined the life-saving crew of the MD902 helicopter

A FORMER Walton postman has landed his dream job as a critical care paramedic for Surrey Air Ambulance.

Jon Sanders, 39, has joined the life-saving crew of the MD902 helicopter on a three-year secondment. He has also previously worked as a tree surgeon and lifeguard at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

His career has now taken off to new heights after he joined the Air Ambulance at its Dunsfold base near Cranleigh.

He said: “It’s the best job I’ve ever had and it is the holy grail of paramedic work. The learning curve is very steep and it’s very challenging but extremely rewarding. It’s the one job I’ve always wanted to do since I joined the ambulance service. It’s always been the top job every paramedic wants to do.”

Jon, who is a former Ashley and Rydens Schools pupil, who now lives in Haslemere, joined the former Surrey Ambulance Service, now South East Coast Ambulance Service, as a patient transfer assistant in 2000.

He qualified as a paramedic in 2004 before graduating from the University of Hertfordshire as a Critical Care Paramedic two years ago.

He won three gold medals as a runner in the London Borough Championships in 1993 and also played American football for the England team in 1999.

The Air Ambulance service in Kent, Surrey and Sussex costs around £3.4 million annually to stay airborn, and relies almost entirely upon the generosity of the public.

Anyone who would like to be a volunteer to help raise much-needed funds for the Surrey Air Ambulance should call fundraiser Julie Jenkinson on 07843 336720.