02/11/2011

Amputees in Action will be there in action at the Emergency Services Show 2011

• Amputees in Action – the first agency to promote the services of amputees with real acting skills for amputee casualty simulation
• Emergency Services Show 2011 – one of the key events for anyone involved in emergency services, this free-to-attend show is organized by the publishers of Emergency Services Times

Following their successful appearance at last year’s Emergency Services Show, Amputees in Action Ltd will again be hosting an exhibition stand and giving two live demonstrations a day at this year’s event, being held on the 23rd and 24th November at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.

Making full use of dramatic effects and make-up, the Amputees in Action team will be showing just how effectively they can add a heightened level of realism to the training of emergency response teams. The first agency to promote the services of amputees with real acting skills, Amputees in Action add a shock factor to simulations designed for all aspects of medical and military training, creating a level of authenticity that leaves trainees far better prepared to deal with real life situations and save lives.

The original inspiration for the agency came when John Pickup, now the Managing Director, met other amputees whilst filming for ‘Saving Private Ryan’. John and the film’s stunt crew saw the real potential in using amputees to add a new level of realism. After working on several more high profile movies, and meeting up with the same individuals, John turned the fledgling idea into reality and launched Amputees in Action Ltd in 2004.

Today, the agency has some 240 amputees on its books and, collectively, they now have many years’ experience contributing to specialist action scenes and working as film and television extras.

It was in 2005 that the agency began working in the defence sector after it was realised how his agency’s actors could benefit medics training for the field hospital. With the introduction of a dedicated special effects team and through the skill of the actors, training scenarios are made more shocking and more immediate, enabling personnel to practice medical drills in the most authentic way possible.  Success in this area led John to further extend the power of heightened realism to training exercises for the emergency services.

As John says:

“We’ll probably shock some of the people who come along to the Emergency Services Show. But we make no apologies for that. A lot of the real life situations that emergency services personnel have to deal with are shocking. People do lose limbs. So wherever we can help to prepare those dedicated individuals who are willing to work in the emergency arena – and we know we can – we’re ready and we’re on call.”

The first Emergency Services Show was launched in response to the introduction of the Civil Contingencies Act in 2004. The plan was to create a unique event to promote multi-agency collaboration across all aspects of emergency service provision – from strategic planners and first responders to the manufacturers and suppliers of equipment used by the professionals.

Last year’s event attracted some 380 exhibitors and over 4000 visitors and the 2011 show – the sixth of its kind – promises to be even better. Providing free access to the latest technology, ideas and initiatives available to enhance public safety, protect the environment and safeguard the Critical National Infrastructure, the show will offer everyone involved in emergency services the chance to network with like-minded people and share best-practice.