Alistair the Ambulance made his first public appearance this month, along with Ambulance personnel, when they visited Sulby Primary School. Pupils learnt about the Island’s Ambulance Service and what they should do to call for an ambulance in an emergency. Alistair features as the main character in a booklet aimed at young school children which, as well as helping teach the Island’s youngsters about calling for an ambulance, also contains information about the Isle of Man Ambulance Service and the work it does, all in a format accessible for children. The booklet includes fun items to help the children become involved, such as a crossword puzzle and a drawing of Alistair to be coloured in. The aim is to help bring the Ambulance Service to life for younger members of the community and ensure that they’re well prepared should they ever need to call upon the Service. Minister for Health David Anderson MHK commented: “It’s essential that from an early age our youngsters know what to do in an emergency. All of our emergency services work with the Island’s schools and their pupils, and I’m delighted to see this innovative approach from our Ambulance team.” Alistair the Ambulance and the booklet he features in were created by local artist John Bennett in conjunction with Ambulance staff Jo Surridge, Sammie Fargher and Ambulance Officer Peter Smith. Chief Ambulance Officer, Steve Sieling commented “Alistair Ambulance is quite literally an excellent vehicle we can use to pass information on to our younger population, but I believe children and adults alike will find the content of interest. I would like to congratulate all those involved with the creation of Alistair and look forward to hearing the comments from the children where he has been in attendance.” Although only a small proportion of the 7,000 ‘999’ calls for an ambulance made on the Island each year are by children, all three emergency services continue to ensure that the Island’s younger people understand what to do in an emergency and how to summon help when they need it. The Isle of Man Ambulance Service has already received requests from other Primary Schools for Alistair to visit, which will take place over the coming months and other young person’s events will also be targeted. - ENDS -