Northern Ireland ambulance service firm marks 25 years in business

It’s lights, camera, action for Proparamedics as the business celebrates its 25th year in operation in Northern Ireland.

Founded in 1999 by paramedic, John Cunningham, Proparamedics, based in Weavers Court, Belfast, is now headed up by John’s sister, Heather Hamill-Vaughan, and employs 130 healthcare professionals.

Over the past 25 years, Proparamedics has provided medical services to all the major event locations in Northern Ireland. From the BBC Proms to MTV Crashes, IFA and UEFA, the British Board of Boxing, Cricket Ireland and Down Royal Races, Proparamedics medically risk assesses and provides medical event cover plus the clinical services that event promoters and managers require to run safe events, regardless of the size.

Heather Hamill-Vaughan, managing director of Proparamedics, explained: “In the past 25 years, our aim hasn’t wavered. It’s to provide highly trained professionals who can respond to any medical incident that occurs and act to preserve life, prevent deterioration and promote recovery of an individual/individuals in any given situation.

“We’re so proud of how many people’s lives our team has saved, helped and rescued in their times of need, and we’re indebted to our clients, including The SSE Arena, Belfast who value the provision of best-in-class medical cover to the benefit of all of its patrons.”

Marking the milestone, Proparamedics took the opportunity to mark 25 years with its longest-serving client, The SSE Arena, Belfast. With a working relationship dating back 24 years, Proparamedics has been the Arena’s medical partner since day one, providing medical assistance for every single event that takes place at the Arena.

Commenting on the partnership, Heather, continued: “The team at The SSE Arena, Belfast quite rightly expect the highest standards in health and safety and event medical cover. Their steadfast dedication to excellence across all facets of the venue has driven us as a business to ensure the training our Proparamedics team receives is unparalleled.

“The Odyssey Trust demands nothing short of excellence, and it's our mutual commitment to fostering a highly skilled, continually trained team that’s at the heart of this successful long-term relationship.”

From the MTV Music Awards to hundreds of concerts and musicals and Belfast Giants’ games, Proparamedics has been on hand, working with the Arena team to ensure the safety of all visitors to The SSE Arena, Belfast.

Adrian Doyle, chief experience officer, The Odyssey Trust, added: "Our comprehensive approach to health and safety is paramount to visitors to The SSE Arena, Belfast having the best experience every time. That's why our medical provider is a cornerstone of our network.

"When global events prompt heightened standards, we expect Proparamedics to rise to the occasion, and every single time, the team has met our expectations.

"Our enduring partnership with Heather and her team is a testament to Proparamedics’ professionalism, reliability, and trust. This unwavering commitment to excellence is central to the business’s success, and I wish Heather, Megan and the team every success for the next 25 years and beyond.”

The company has also launched the safe event shield, Northern Ireland’s first safer events pledge. Proparamedics’ safe event shield has been established to reflect the Purple Guide and to emphasise the importance of health and safety at events, including festivals, concerts and sporting fixtures across Northern Ireland.

It includes a pledge to event owners that Proparamedics will deliver best practices across all its services and specifically guarantees: 100% event cover, the highest trained staff, risk assessments with every booking, major incident trained team (ACT / JESIP trained) and safety prioritised no matter the size of an event.