A significant number of emergency resources are leaving the South West and travelling to provide assistance in the London area for the Queen’s funeral.
Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered today (19 September) at her state funeral in Westminster Abbey before a procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for her committal service.
The policing operation for the event is thought to be the biggest in British history – with hundreds of officers drafted in from forces across the country, including Wiltshire.
Ambulance crews from across the South Western Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST) area are also being seconded to provide emergency care across southeast England and London.
A paramedic from SWAST, based in Exeter, shared this photograph of a convoy of ambulances and two rapid response vehicles ready to leave for the funeral this morning.
The assistance provided by SWAST isn’t expected to impact local services significantly – with the ambulances being double-crewed by staff working overtime.
In total, ten ambulances and an officer are understood to be making their way to the southeast for the duration of today’s memorial events.
The vehicles provided by SWAST are thought to be part of reserve fleets from across the vast service area, which means local emergency ambulances remain to respond as they would usually.
The local ambulance response is only likely to be affected in the event of a major incident, where reserve ambulances would have been required.
Much like the ambulance staff, any Wiltshire police officers expected to attend the event to provide policing support are understood to be working overtime on their rest days, and won’t be pulled from normal duties.
