a qualified Ambulance technician. The closure of Event First Aiders also saw the end of the Voluntary Medical Service Medal being issued to British Red Cross volunteers, much to their dismay, however it is still issued to St Andrew's First Aid volunteers. Ambulance Support (AS) There are three main areas of Ambulance Support (AS) provided by the BRC: patient transport service (PTS) urgent patient transport blue light emergency response (999). The BRC also provide ambulance services under royal charter during: surges in demand predicted periods of high activity adverse weather events (e.g. 4x4 ambulances). Within that there are different clinical levels: Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA) - a non-emergency patient-transport role, moving patients to and from different locations. Ambulance Crew - provides emergency or urgent transport services Ambulance Technician (EMT) - qualified EMTs. Paramedic - state registered paramedics, employed but the BRC does not train them in-house. Ambulance crews undergo national standard training and examination and are then qualified to offer an advanced level of care to sick and injured patients. The training is of a sufficiently high standard, that in many areas, along with the other main medical service provider, St John Ambulance, British Red Cross ambulance crews work on behalf of the NHS ambulance services during particularly busy times or whenever requested, responding to 999 calls from members of the public. British Red Cross provide ambulance support for the North East Ambulance Service. The BRC also provide PTS in South East Wales, with paid Ambulance Care Assistants being trained and deployed in house. Specialist units existed within the first aid provision including the Cycle Response Unit, which allowed trained cyclists with enhanced first aid skills to access areas inaccessible to full ambulance vehicles. This was initially sponsored by Land Rover. Fleet Support The BRC's Fleet Support team, is a group of volunteers that look after the fleet of vehicles used by Ambulance Support (AS) and generally includes the following duties: Washing and cleaning (outside only) ambulances, rapid response cars, patient transport vehicles (cars & ambulances), emergency response units, vans and 4x4 ambulances Driving vehicles between office locations, garages and repairers Basic maintenance of vehicles e.g. starting the vehicles, filling windscreen wash, checking wiper fluid, oil checks, checking (visibly) tyre pressure Assisting with stock and equipment. Closure of Event First Aid In October 2019, the British Red Cross announced to volunteers that it would cease providing Event First Aid services