British Red Cross volunteers helping Belfast around the clock

As an emergency response volunteer with Red Cross, Louise Johnston is often called out to back up Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service crews at major incidents.
Louise JohnstonLouise Johnston
Louise Johnston

Sometimes it’s a case of supporting people who have fled their home after a fire and who are literally standing in the street, in need of some shelter and warm clothing. On other occasions firefighters might be involved in a prolonged incident like a gorse fire, when a cup of tea and a Twix go down a treat.

“Fire crews sometimes work very long shifts and they get tired and thirsty,’ says Louise. “Our Red Cross campervan gives the crews somewhere to sit down and take a break before they go back out again.”

Louise has been volunteering with the Red Cross for nearly half her life, having joined the first aid group in Enniskillen when she was 17. She juggles duties with the Enniskillen first responder team, along with emergency response call-outs and driving a range of British Red Cross vehicles. It’s a welcome change from her day job in insurance.

Clive and Jennifer HamiltonClive and Jennifer Hamilton
Clive and Jennifer Hamilton

“I’m at my desk from nine-to-five every day, but with the Red Cross, I’m out and about, going different places and meeting different people.

“My employers are very good as I’m allowed to respond to emergency first responder calls when they come in during the day. So sometimes I’ll have to jump up and head to a local address to provide first aid support while people are waiting for the ambulance service to arrive.”

Louise was inspired to join British Red Cross by her cousin Lisa, and then through volunteering she met her partner Nathan. Lisa and Nathan have both been Red Cross volunteers for around 20 years, so between them and Louise, they’ve clocked up an impressive 55 years of volunteering.

And as for her plans for the future?

“I’ve been in it for this long,” she says, “so I think I’ll just keep going!”

“We had nine calls during christmas week”

Clive and Jennifer have been volunteering with the Red Cross emergency response team for 21 and 1 1 years respectively. As a married couple, they are able to crew the Red Cross emergency response vehicle together when they are called out in the early hours.

Clive has covered almost every Christmas for the past 20 years, and this year both he and Jennifer were called out to a house fire on New Year’s Eve.

Clive’s volunteering is a bit of a busman’s holiday, as his day job is in the control room of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, while Jennifer works for a local optician. They pride themselves on being well organised and ready to respond at any time, even on Christmas Day.

“Our guests know to expect the unexpected,” says Jennifer. “One of our team members once got called out when she had 13 guests for Christmas dinner! We prepare ourselves well; the car is always ready to go just in case we’re called, and at Christmas I had a joint of meat ready in a foil tray.”

With six new volunteers recently signed up, Clive and Jennifer are looking forward to a more relaxed rota, but they’d love to see a few more experienced drivers come forward.

Find out more about volunteering here.