Meet the team: GNAAS paramedic Lee Salmon

Lee, what is your role at GNAAS? 

I am head of operations West and a paramedic with the charity.

How long have you worked with the charity?

 Cumulatively 8 years of a 22-year career as a pre-hospital care medic.

What made you want to work for GNAAS?

I was 8 years old when I saw a helicopter land on a Northern Ireland airbase when I was visiting my uncle who was an army captain – the seed was planted then!

Did you always know you wanted to be a paramedic? 

No, my first love was for climbing and outdoor pursuits of all kinds, I prepared myself for a career in that by sitting my first aid in the mountains examination.  

I scored higher than my PE teacher who was also sitting the exam, I was 15 years old and all of a sudden I realised I had found something that I both enjoyed and that captured my passion.

If you weren’t a paramedic what would you be? 

I’m a typical wantrepreneur!  (typo intended).

I am driven mainly by two things: helping people and a challenge.  Dress it up in whatever form as long as it’s a challenge I will attempt to succeed, whether that be a business, a role in a charity, or as a professionally registered paramedic.

Talk us through your career path? 

At 12 I wanted some money, my late mother suggested I could wash her windows.  Then next door asked if I’d do hers, next moment I was cleaning windows across the village.

Then onto waiting tables, I didn’t like having cold fingers! I learned to talk to people, to make them happy as it resulted in a good tip!

My roles evolved, my aspirations grew and I followed my passions.  

In and around my paramedic career I have trimmed cows’ feet, been a shepherd, waited tables, served alcohol, renovated pubs, and finally established a coffee business with my wife, Anna.  

Her combined drive, passion, and ethic of working hard have helped us develop a coffee business and taught us both to be baristas. So after saving a life, I can make you a lovely cup of coffee!

What’s the hardest part of your job? 

We only have limited resources, and can only be in one place at a time.

 We are bound by so much legislation and anchored by a lack of funding and slowly edging forward takes energy that at times is truly difficult to muster.

How do you cope with difficult jobs? 

I have multiple layers of armour yet sometimes a job gets through.  

Over my 22 years, there have been a handful of jobs that have taken a small piece of me that I won’t ever get back and that’s a shame but those details are too precious and too difficult to share.  

Being prepared to take your time to reflect -reflection and honesty is the true strength that keeps the armour strong and your passion alive.

What are the team like to work with? 

A nightmare! They are all phenomenal people, so driven, so passionate and so unbelievably switched on it’s a constant battle to stay afloat amidst the tide of truly amazing people.

Do you have a standout job? What happened? 

I don’t, not really how do you judge and balance saving a life of one against another? I have some amazing memories of meeting people who I’ve impacted whether that’s by saving a loved one or them themselves.  

Advice for your younger self? 

Understand that everything you achieve, you will need to fight for, so be prepared to fight.

What is the biggest career hurdle you have faced? 

Managing my own time because you can never tell how long things will take to achieve.

What kickstarts your day but it can’t be coffee?

The sun!

I don’t have curtains so the morning light energises my soul- most of the time anyway!

What do you like to do outside of work? 

Have fun.

In my role, I see people’s lives shattered daily and it’s never lost on me.  

I encourage my daughters to enjoy every moment, explore the possible, and challenge the impossible.  Life’s for living and loving, not for being anxious or scared.  

Lee, do you have anything to add?

Every single one of our team recognises the absolute privilege we hold to care for the people of our region.  

Our supporters are all so important to us that we compromise our family time to practice that privilege.

Thank you for your continued support and for the love you show us time and again.