Rick Wakeman to be responders' patron

Rock star Rick Wakeman is to become patron of the Norfolk responder ambulance service volunteers. The keyboard player yesterday launched the East of England Ambulance Service's first ever community first responder day - held Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens, near Diss.

Rock star Rick Wakeman is to become patron of the Norfolk responder ambulance service volunteers.

The keyboard player yesterday launched the East of England Ambulance Service's first community first responder day - held Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens, near Diss.

Visitors were able to find out more about the valuable role played by responders who are sent at the same time as an ambulance to urgent or life-threatening calls in their locality. They are often the first to arrive on scene, using the life-saving skills they have learned in training to assess and treat the patient until the ambulance crew arrives.

Emergency vehicles, past and present, were on show along with equipment used by the ambulance service and volunteers.