A ST JOHN Ambulance volunteer from Ealing will be among those keeping the crowds safe at Saturday’s Royal Wedding.
Mike Gibbons, 58, will be the first aid charity’s tactical commander on the day. It will be the fifth royal wedding at which he worked, beginning with Princess Anne’s in 1973, when he was a cadet..
He was part of an ambulance crew at the weddings of both Prince Charles and Prince Andrew and he attended Kate and William’s celebrations in 2011 as support to the tactical commander.
With crowds of more than 100,000 expected, his biggest challenge will be getting resources to where they’re needed on the day.
READ MORE: Nando's offer if your name is Harry or Meghan
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan's cake - yours for £7
If someone is taken ill en route, the challenge is to find the best way to get them out and to hospital.
“We have treatment centres along the route and we’re deploying some very experienced people, who are used to moving patients through crowds,” he said.
He has been with St John since he was 12 and is now District Manager for West London. By day, he’s a director of an accountancy firm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here