THE last time Martina Atkins came face to face with these four men the circumstances could scarcely have been more different.

On the morning of Tuesday, October 7, the heavily pregnant mother-of-four was involved in a serious car accident near her Garston home; a crash that saw her cut from the passenger seat and rushed to hospital.

Although still in pain she asked this week to personally thank firefighters Russell Ward, Jamie Farrelly, Duncan McTavish, and paramedic Gavin Turner – four men she says she will never forget.

She said: “They were amazing. It was a really horrible experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but they were all fantastic with me. I remember Russell talking with me about my baby; asking me what names I was thinking about.

“I was so upset by it all and worried for my baby that it was nice to have something to talk about.

“We were going to hospital for my 20 week scan when it happened. Obviously we did get to hospital but not quite in the way we imagined.”

Martina is one of the more than 100 people cut from cars in Hertfordshire each year; an increasingly common action which allows for the removal of casualties with the minimal of movement, thus reducing the risk of neck or spinal injury.

It’s a meticulously rehearsed procedure which includes removing the roof and lifting casualties out from the rear of the car.

“It’s a real team approach,” says firefighter Russell Ward. “Together with Gavin we carried out what was known as a dynamic risk assessment before deciding what to do.

“On this occasion it was necessary to take Martina out with the minimum of movement. She had a lot of pain in her neck so we do it as a precaution. When we got the call we were actually one minute away from the end of our night shift, but that’s why we all love the job.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the first minute or the last – it’s just another call out.”

Indeed, what was (thankfully) a once in a lifetime event for Martina is almost routine for the men and women of the emergency services.

Paramedic Gavin added: “This type of job is not something you take home with you after work. Thankfully, in this case, everything went according to plan.”

Martina suffered back, neck and abdominal injuries in the crash and is currently undergoing tests to assess the impact of the crash on her unborn child.