Ambulance station is officially opened (From Barry And District News)

Ambulance station is officially opened

BARRY has a new ambulance station which will help bring down response times for local people's 999 calls.

The building on Priority Enterprise Park Industrial Estate was officially opened by Minister for Health Jane Hutt AM last Thursday.

It will be operational next month and the Welsh Assembly Government has promised £50,000 a year to cover the rent of the new station.

Ms Hutt said: "I am delighted to be here today to officially open the new Barry Ambulance Station. It is ideally located for access to major roads to serve the population of Barry. It is a modern, clean and safe environment with excellent facilities for staff.

"The trust spent a number of years looking for a new site that would provide better access to major roads to serve the increasing population of the Barry area which includes the Cardiff Airport and the coast."

Paramedic Dave Harfoot said: "It is great to get this new facility. The difference between here and the old station in Bassett Street is huge. At the old site the kids made our life hell. They used to throw stones and bricks at the building. It was not very secure for the vehicles either.

"Here we have all the facilities and the vehicles are very secure. It is close to all the main roads so access is much easier."

The new station also houses the rapid response vehicle. This was not part of the funding for the building.

Community Health Committee member Graham Ellis said: "We are very pleased with the new site. This will be a lot better for the crews and patients. We are also pushing for the public to be educated about when it is an emergency. We are disappointed that this area has the worst response times and want to improve drastically. We need people to realise that a missing television control is not cause to phone 999."