Nee Naw

About This Blog
If you were to walk into London Ambulance’s control room and peer down into the call taking area (otherwise known as “the pit”), you might see a young green-clad man ferociously scribbling notes on the back of a rejected annual leave slip between calls. That man is me, and those notes form the basis of this blog. Since I started work in Central Ambulance Control (or Nee Naw Control, as it shall henceforth be known), I have kept a diary my most memorable calls, from delivering babies in pub toilets to soothing hungover teenagers, via the inevitable embarrassing sexual accident. I have now decided that the time has come to release that diary on to the Internet for public consumption.

About Me
I’m in my twenties and I live in East London. One day, with the help of my inimitably patient driving instructor and a lot of perseverence, I will be on the other side of the fence, driving the ambulances. For now, and for possibly some time to come, I work as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher in London Ambulance’s control room.

What On Earth Is A Nee Naw?
A Nee Naw is a child’s word for an ambulance, fire engine or police car, based on a phonetic approximation of the old two-tone siren sounds. Apparently this terminology is not common in the States, so I hope I’ve cleared that one up!

What I Hope To Achieve By Writing This Blog
I’d like to teach the general public a little bit about how, when and why to call for an ambulance. I’d like them to stop shouting “hurry up” in my earhole when the ambulance has already been sent and I’m trying to tell them how to resuscitate their grandma. I’d like Chat magazine to stop referring to those who do my job as “The Operator”. I’d like ambulance crews to know that yes, you are the nearest. I’d like to get my name in LAS News. I’d like to make a few people laugh or smile.

Disclaimer
The views expressed within this blog are mine alone and are not representative of London Ambulance Service as a whole, ambulance crews, other Nee Naw Control staff or indeed anyone in the world at all whatsoever. All names, places, ages and other identifying details, including those of staff, have been changed to protect confidentiality.

If you have any complaints, queries or suggestions about this blog, please send mail to blog [at] neenaw [dot] co [dot] uk. You are welcome to reproduce any part of this blog elsewhere, so long as you credit me and link to either http://www.neenaw.co.uk or the original article. An email pointing out my appearance in any big/commercial publications would be nice. Large sums of cash are appreciated but not essential.