An East of England Ambulance Service paramedic has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King's New Year Honours list

Carl Smith, a critical care paramedic who celebrates 30 years of working with EEAST in April this year, has also been an on-call firefighter for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service for 27 years.? He is also a part of the critical care team working on the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Norfolk Accident Rescue Service and is Head of Clinical Development (emergency and critical care) at the College of Paramedics.?

His BEM is for services to the NHS and fire service, and the citation specifically mentioned an ‘instrumental’’ initiative which Carl led, where firefighters supported the ambulance service during the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate staff shortages.?

Carl, who lives near Swaffham,?joined as a trainee emergency medical technician, and worked his way up to being a qualified paramedic and then into management positions.?

Carl said he was ‘humbled’ by the news: “A lot of people do voluntary and paid work that makes a difference every day, so I was really pleased to get this award.”?Tom Abell, Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Service said:?"We are incredibly proud of Carl and are thrilled that his hard work and dedication has been recognised at such a high level. This honour is a testament to the calibre of professionals we have in our team and the important work they do every day."?

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