Tears as trusty old St. John Ambulance ‘3-3’ is decommissioned after 147,000 miles of emergency service

Linda Heaney, acting unit manager, told the ‘Journal’ how the ambulance holds a special place in the hearts of crews from the local first aid and emergency service.

“We call it ‘3-3’ as a term of endearment,” she said. “Our proper call sign is ‘papa alpha’ [PA] 330. It is letting go of that. Even though we are getting a new ambulance it is still hard to let go because that was a special chapter in everybody's lives.

“She had 147,000 miles. She was an old ambulance. We got her second hand from the ambulance service, but she carried us through thick and thin.”

Linda said ‘3-3’ came into her own when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived on our shores in March 2020.

From the end of March of that year until the end of June there was crew out in the ambulance every single day.

“We were working through the pandemic and a lot of our work involved taking people from hospital to care homes, from care homes to hospital, from their own homes to hospital,” she said.

This brought a great sense of reward to volunteers, which will forever be associated with ‘3-3’.

“We found it very fruitful in the sense that we felt we were doing something for the community and something that was very worthwhile.

"What struck us most was that we were going in and seeing family members who maybe weren't able to get in standing at windows or standing at hospital doors trying to catch a glimpse of their loved ones.

“On at least three occasions we were in the fortunate position of being able to take elderly loved ones home to their family and as you turned the corner of their street all the neighbours were standing out.

"You couldn't help getting caught up in the emotion of it all. You felt you were doing something positive and uniting family members who maybe hadn't seen each other properly for months on that.

“‘3-3’ took us through all of that. There were thousands of miles travelled, transporting patients here and there and everywhere.”

The retirement of the vehicle is a particularly poignant moment for Linda herself whose mother Anne passed away in April 2020.

“At the time my own mum was in the hospice. It wasn't COVID-19 related and she died during COVID-19. We used our ambulance to escort her home from the funeral home so it touched me personally and my family personally. It was a very emotional time for all of us.

“She was the previous unit leader of the unit I am now leading Belmont. She had been involved with St. John for quite a number of years herself. It was a lovely tribute.

"The neighbours were all out in the street. I think the sight of the ambulance out following the hearse was quite emotional as well.”

More than any ordinary vehicle ‘3-3’ is now being stood down after years of service in which she touched the lives of so many citizens.

St John's Ambulance in Derry recruiting new members aged six and up