Salcombe Crabfest takes pride in supporting local charities, and in 2023, the event organisers, the Rotary Club of Salcombe, made a generous £5,000 donation to Devon Air Ambulance. This vital charity, with its Critical Care Doctors and specialist Paramedics, plays a crucial role in delivering life-saving treatment to the community. In appreciation of the remarkable work carried out by the Devon Air Ambulance, we chatted with the team to discover the charity’s key milestones, the impact of the donation, and gain insight into its day-to-day operations.

What prompted the establishment of Devon Air Ambulance?

In 1986, a young 18-year-old man called Ceri Thomas set off from his home in Sidbury. He was riding his pushbike when he was tragically hit by a car. Due to his rather remote location, it took over an hour to get Ceri to the hospital. This delay in Ceri receiving his critical care ultimately led to his passing away. When his mum, Ann, asked what could have saved him, the doctor replied, “time”. A helicopter would have got him to the hospital faster.

Ceri’s untimely death was what spurred Ann into starting the Ceri Thomas Appeal: the appeal that would go on to start the Devon Air Ambulance in 1992.

What key events or milestones marked the early years of Devon Air Ambulance’s history?

• 1986: Ann starts the Ceri Thomas Appeal, encouraging the Devon Community to fundraise for our own Air Ambulance.
• 1992: Devon Air Ambulance goes “online”, initially operating five days a week with a leased helicopter.
• 1997: Service extends to a seven-day working week.
• 2005: A second helicopter is leased.
• 2008: The organisation purchases its first helicopter, custom-fitted for our needs.
• 2013: A second helicopter is acquired.
• 2015: We collaborate with Plymouth University to offer an MSc in Pre-hospital Critical Care/Transport and Retrieval for our paramedics.
• 2016: Night flying operations commence, with a focus on establishing a community of Night Landing Sites.
• 2019: Achieve clinical independence and extend flying hours to 2 am (Exeter Aircraft)
• 2020: The fleet expands to include two critical care cars.
• 2022: The organisation introduces the Volunteer Responder Scheme, with three of our paramedics volunteering their skills during their downtime. Additionally, 2022 marks our 30th anniversary.

How has Devon Air Ambulance evolved since it first launched?

From a five day a week service, limited to flying in daylight hours and used mostly as a quick pick-up service for patients, we are now a 365-days-a-year service operating for 19 hours a day.

Nowadays, rather than simply getting the patient to the hospital quickly, our service is focused on delivering our specialist medical team to the scene of the incident as swiftly as possible so that they can begin to treat their patient with the life-saving, hospital-level interventions that may be needed. Of course, the quick transfer to the hospital still helps!

Could you provide an overview of the remarkable work undertaken by Devon Air Ambulance?

Devon Air Ambulance crews operate to serve the people of Devon and beyond. Our expert Critical Care Doctors and specialist Paramedics deliver life-saving treatment to those in urgent need across our county. We operate with 2 helicopters and 2 critical care cars, essentially bringing a hospital “A&E team” to the patient.

How will the £5,000 donation raised at Salcombe Crabfest 2023 support the mission and operations of Devon Air Ambulance?

We estimate that each mission costs on average £5,000. So the money raised at Salcombe Crabfest has the potential to cover the cost of an entire mission: saving someone’s life and helping their family to keep their loved one.

How would you describe the vital role that Devon Air Ambulance plays today in the local community and beyond?

To date, Devon Air Ambulance has responded to over 33,000 critical incidents since our launch in 1992. That’s 33,000 individuals (well, not quite, as we’ve had a few repeated patients!), and 33,000 families impacted by our service. In 2023 alone, we have surpassed all previous years’ records for the number of incidents (and we’re not quite at the end of the year yet!). So far, we have already undertaken over 2,000 missions this year.

How does Devon Air Ambulance respond to emergency calls, and what types of emergencies do you typically handle?

When you call 999, your call is received by the South West Ambulance Service call room. As you provide details of your incident, our dedicated team of HEMS dispatchers (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) is simultaneously scanning each incoming job to identify those that may require the assistance of the Air Ambulance. They might take over the call to gather more information about the incident and prepare you for the arrival of the helicopter. In some cases, road ambulance crews can also request the assistance of Devon Air Ambulance’s highly skilled crew.

We typically have an almost 50/50 split on our missions: 50% medical and 50% trauma — from cardiac arrests and life-threatening seizures to falls and accidental injuries.

How important is community support in sustaining and enhancing the services provided by Devon Air Ambulance?

Vital. We receive no funding from the Government or National Lottery. We operate solely off of donations and money raised.

How can individuals and businesses in the community continue to support Devon Air Ambulance beyond fundraising events like Salcombe Crabfest?

Individuals could kickstart their own fundraising initiatives—whether it’s organising an event or taking on a personal challenge. Setting up a Direct Debit, participating in our Weekly lottery (with a chance to win our weekly cash prize!), or including us in their wills are meaningful ways to contribute. Donating belongings to their local Devon Air Ambulance shop or volunteering time are also wonderful options.

Businesses, your support is invaluable! Consider workplace fundraising to initiate your support. If your company selects new charities each year, we’d love to be considered! Alternatively, if your business provides services that could benefit Devon Air Ambulance as a donation, we’d greatly appreciate your consideration. Visit the Devon Air Ambulance website for more information.

To find out about the other charities we supported at Salcombe Crabfest 2023, read our Q&A blogs with Chill South Devon and Devon Mind.