Ronda Crampton-Reid joined the Royal Navy in 1997 and served for 26 years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was redeployed to the ambulance service, where she got a taste for a career saving lives on the frontline. Soon after, Ronda pursued Resettlement with EMAS.
“I joined the Navy to see the world, and was guided by my grandad to the Logistics Supply Chain. During my time in the Navy, I sailed on eight vessels, mostly on humanitarian disaster relief and anti-narcotics operations. I was trained to deliver emergency and major trauma care, which stood me in good stead for what came next.”
“When Covid-19 hit, I was deployed to the Welsh Ambulance Service to support the NHS response to the pandemic in the UK. I spent three months working with the crews, and I loved it. I wasn’t sure what job I wanted when I left the Navy, but I knew I’d find a new home in the ambulance service. I prepared by getting my Category 1 (C1) driving licence so I was qualified to drive an emergency vehicle.”
Ronda joined EMAS in 2023 as an Ambulance Support Crew (ASC) in Lincolnshire.
"In so many ways, [joining EMAS] was like walking into a new family. All aspects of the Navy ethos – Discipline, Integrity and Courage – are absolutely central to our roles at EMAS. A team with a wicked sense of humour and the knowledge that no two days are the same, you’d be hard pressed to find all of this in any other line of work.
For me, the best part about the Military was that no two days were the same. I didn’t want that to change when I resettled. In the ambulance service, I’m faced with new challenges and people every day. I’m constantly drawing on my Naval training. In the Navy we’re taught to use a heightened sense of awareness to look for the ‘absence of normal’. Tapping into this instinct when responding to my patients prompts me to ask new and different questions. There are cases where this has helped me provide the right treatment sooner and saved their life.
I chose to Resettle at the right stage of my life. My work-life balance suits me a lot better now that I can make plans with my wife and family. When I’m working, my priorities are focused and manageable. On ships, I was responsible for the safety and supplies for everyone onboard. Now my sole priority is my patient and I can focus on the job at hand.
My next step is to apply to train to be an Ambulance Technician, an ambition that is supported by my managers and colleagues.
I joined the Navy because I wanted to make a difference. I didn’t always feel that was possible. Now I feel like a make a difference every single day.”
