Background
The Annual National Blue Light Users' Conference is aimed at all those who manage or train drivers who during the course of their work drive emergency vehicles. It is also relevant to those who manage health and safety and occupational road risk issues for all staff within the emergency services and those who are involved in casualty reduction.
Over the years the Conference has become an important event in the diary for the emergency services and has gained a reputation and credibility with Government and its agencies and other organizations concerned in any way with the emergency services.
NBLUC Reference Group
AIRSO established for the 2009 Conference a NBLUC Reference Group who have the responsibility of gathering and feeding in ideas with regard to promoting the conference and assisting with the development of both the programme and the exhibition. The contact details for each of the Reference Group Members is given below and we invite those involved within our emergency services, whether statutory, private or voluntary to make contact with any Member of the Group should they have questions or ideas about the conference.
NBLUC 2011 Reference Group Members:
- Kevin Day, Driver Training Manager - West Midlands Fire Service.
- Office Tel: 0121 380 6635 Email: Kevin.day@wmfs.net
- Mike Dunford, Operations/Driver Training Manager - South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
- Tel: 07825 680420 Email: mike.dunford@scas.nhs.uk
- Graham Feest, Secretary – AIRSO.
- Tel: 01903 506095 Email: info@airso.org.uk
- David Fox County Fleet Manager - St John Ambulance, Nottinghamshire
- Tel: 07958 614462 Email: dave.fox@notts.sja.org.uk
- Garry Hawkes, Driver Trainer - Avon Fire & Rescue Service.
- Email: garry.hawkes@avonfire.gov.uk
- Gordon Howard Education Centre Manager – London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Tel: tba Email:gordon.howard@lond-amb.nhs.uk
- Owen Lower, Senior Driving Instructor - Suffolk Constabulary.
- Tel: 01473 613975 Email: owen.lower@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
- Gareth Morgan, Head of Driver Training - South Wales Police.
- Tel: 01443 844145
- Clive Pouncey Driver Training Manager - Lincolnshire Police
- Tel: 01522 558207 Email: clive.pouncey@lincs.pnn.police.uk
- Peter Tully Driving Instructor – Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service
- Tel: 01670 534692 Email: peter.tully@northumberland.gov.uk
2012 Conference Chairman
The next Chairman of the National Blue Light Users Conference will be Mike Dunford MAIRSO. Mike Dunford MAIRSO is the Driver Training & Operations Manager for South Central Ambulance NHS Trust has been appointed as Chairman of the National Blue Light Users Conference.
Born in High Wycombe, Mike grew up in and around the Leicester area. He began his working life as a gardener and finished his horticultural career as assistant head gardener on a large estate. After a short period as a transport driver working out of Milton Keynes he returned to rural pursuits as a forestry worker, again on a large estate.
He joined Wiltshire Ambulance Service 1989 and undertook his initial training at the Southern Ambulance College, Chippenham. He spent his operational career as a Technician, and later as a Paramedic, mainly at Chippenham Ambulance Station. He pursued his interest in driving and undertook a Potential Driving Instructor Course at the Southern Ambulance College and his Driving Instructor qualifying course at Liverpool.
He returned to operational duties, moving to a Clinical Supervisor’s post and after periods of secondment as a driving tutor gained a full time post at the Southern Ambulance College as Senior Training and Development Officer managing a team of six full time clinical and driving tutors along with seconded and independent staff. Whilst at SAC he was seconded to other driver training centres around the country to facilitate Advanced Driving Courses and Instructor Qualifying Courses. Mike worked closely as an advisor with both Isle of Wight Ambulance Service and the now merged East Anglian Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the preparation of their respective applications for IHCD driver training accreditation. Whilst at Wiltshire he also developed close working relationships with local St John Ambulance Services and neighbouring Police force driver training units, forging greater understanding and sharing ideas and working practices.
He currently plays a key role nationally as co-chair of the Ambulance Service Association’s Driver Training Advisory Group researching and reporting on driving and driver training related issues and formulating recommendations to the NHS Confederation. As part of this work he meets with the Driving Standards Agency and is a member of the Department for Transport Joint Emergency Services ‘High Speed’ Training Working Group designing the ‘High Speed’ Driving student and instructor courses and delivery accreditation criteria as required by the Road Safety Act 2006.
He took part in the national pilot scheme to prepare IHCD driving instructors to undertake the DSA instructor pathway and was subsequently successful in gaining the DSA Approved Driving Instructor Qualification.
After reconfiguration of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Avon Mike’s last post was as Learning and Development Officer – Driving with Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust where he led the planning and delivery of a range of driving courses and driver training and assessment criteria. In September 2007 he joined South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust as Driver Training Manager later combining that role with Operations Training Manager.
Mike is married and has three children and is a keen motorcyclist when time allows.
