MORE ambulances have been stationed near Faringdon following the sacking of a volunteer paramedic for breaking the speed limit on his way to an emergency.
Godfrey Smith’s 15-year service as a community first responder with South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) was ended in July.
Mr Smith drove at 33mph in a 20mph zone in Oxford on his way to a man who had collapsed with breathing problems in St Clement’s.
SCAS launched a review into the sacking after chief executive Will Hancock met Mr Smith – who is known as Gof and lives in Faringdon – last week. Mr Hancock, speaking for the first time about the meeting, said: “I am certainly hoping to see Gof again in the next couple of weeks.
“We had a long initial meeting on Friday and there was a lot of stuff he wanted to share with me.
“All I have said to him is that I will be looking at it afresh with an open mind.”
Mr Hancock said SCAS had put an extra ambulance into Witney and Wantage “just to make sure” the area had emergency cover.
Mr Smith, 64, said: “As long as it is a proper, in-depth review I do not mind how long it takes. But I want to get back – of course I do.”
But he doubted whether ambulances stationed in Witney and Wantage would be able to respond to an emergency in Faringdon within the target of eight minutes.
Since Mr Smith was sacked, 1,115 people have signed a petition to have him reinstated and his son, Matthew, 19, has resigned as a responder. Mr Smith said there were now only three community responders in Faringdon.
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