Sam Crook

Föreläsningen

HART paramedics are trained and equipped to treat patients in hazardous and high-risk environments, such as at height, in water, in building sites, and in collapsed structures. This session will outline the structure, role, and operational capability of the UK Hazardous Area Response Team, drawing on both well-known and lesser-known incidents attended by the speaker.

It will then explore key learning from working within operational teams in high-risk environments, highlighting the value of trust and their impact on team performance and operational effectiveness. The session will examine the distinctions between these closely related concepts and how they change in leadership roles and during multi-agency working, using lived experiences and operational examples.

Erfarenhet

Sam Crook is a Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science at the University of the West of England (UWE) with an extensive background in UK prehospital care. He completed his BSc at the University of Hertfordshire and has worked clinically for both the London Ambulance Service and South Western Ambulance Service in the UK.

Before joining UWE, Sam spent ten years with the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) in Bristol, working as a HART paramedic, Deputy Team Leader, and Team Leader. This experience shaped his interest in high-risk, high-consequence environments, hazardous area medicine, interagency working, and structured decision-making under pressure.

Sam’s work in paramedic education focuses on advanced life support, trauma and leadership preparing students for the realities of clinical practice in unpredictable and complex settings by helping bridge the gap between theory and practice. His professional interests include human factors, scene leadership, risk assessment, and the influence of systems and professional standards on patient care.