A hero paramedic who was the first responder at the Westminster Bridge terror attack in 2017 has been honoured with a Queen’s Ambulance Medal in a ceremony hosted by King Charles III.
Richard Webb Stevens, a motorcycle paramedic who was born with severe hearing loss, picked up his medal at Windsor Castle earlier this month.
He told the Standard that the experience of meeting the monarch in person was “remarkable”.
“Meeting the King personally to receive such an important award is something that I never envisaged. It’s something you hear stories about but never think you are going to experience in real life.
“He had a big beaming smile when he met me and was a real gentleman.”
Mr Stevens was among the first responders on the scene during the Westminster Bridge attack on March 22, 2017. Four people were killed and more than 50 injured when Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians along the south side of the Bridge.
“I will never forget it. I had to put all my years of service into practice into one single call, but I hope I made a difference to people’s lives,” he said.
Mr Stevens, from Harrow, was also honoured for raising awareness of the challenges faced by the deaf community working in emergency services.
When he joined the LAS’ Motorcycle Response Unit, he found the in-helmet earpiece used by motorbike paramedics to keep in contact while driving was incompatible with his hearing aid.
He subsequently met with audiologists and hearing-aid companies to create a new design that has since been adopted by police forces, medical professionals and military personnel around the world.
Mr Stevens has also supported deaf patients to make 999 calls through the launch of a British Sign Language (BSL) app which allows people with hearing or speech loss to be instantly connected to a video call with a BSL interpreter should they need life-saving help.
Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive at London Ambulance Service, said: “I can think of no better person to be honoured for serving London. Richard has not only saved countless lives and responded to significant incidents in some very challenging circumstances, but also fought to make the emergency services more inclusive for all.
“We are very proud of him and for everything he has achieved over these 23 years with us.”
