He made a ‘lasting difference’ across the East Midlands
Dave started his journey at EMAS in 1994(Image: EMAS)
A first responder is “leaving behind a legacy defined by courage” as he announces his retirement after 31 years of service.
Dave “Tuna” Turner, is a founding member of the EMAS Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). The ambulance service announced his retirement on Friday, February 20, after he joined the team in 1994 in the patient transport services.
Dave’s nickname, “Tuna” has followed him since his army days and originates from his time in the service where he was a talented goalkeeper.
He earned the name from fellow squad mates who linked his surname, Turner, with Billy the Fish – a cartoon footballing goalkeeper from the magazine Viz.
The first responder’s army experience, and particularly his time as a Troop Medic, laid the foundations for a career in pre-hospital care. He said: “When I left the Army after my initial service, I knew I wanted to stay in a job that was about helping people.”
Dave has reflected on his time with the ambulance service(Image: EMAS)
After leaving the army, Dave applied for the ambulance service, fire service, and police service. He was successful in all three interviews and ultimately, it was the ambulance role that he said “felt right.”
Speaking about the start of his EMAS journey in the patient transport services, based in Newark, Dave describes it as invaluable grounding. He said: “PTS taught me how to talk to people, understand different characters, and read a room.”
Dave progressed to become an emergency medical technician and later became a registered paramedic in 2006. A milestone he describes with pride, as it meant taking on a different set of clinical responsibilities while still working as part of a close, supportive team, as he said: “You’re only ever as good as the team around you.”
The formation of the Hazardous Area Response Team in 2008 marked a turning point, not just for EMAS, but for Dave personally.
Thinking back to major national incidents such as the King’s Cross Fire in 1987, and the London bombings of 2005, he saw the HART team as a crucial improvement in how EMAS responds to large-scale or complex emergencies.
As one of the original HART members when the team went live in 2009, Dave played a “meaningful” role in shaping its early identity.
Those first few months involved intense training and making sure the team could operate consistently and safely in challenging environments.
Dave said: “It had my name written all over it. We never hesitate to take on challenging situations when the emergency response calls for it.”
Dave was at the forefront of HART’s formation(Image: EMAS)
As a team leader from 2012, he worked hard to “build a culture of openness, flexibility and psychological safety”. Dave said: “When you really know your team, you notice when someone isn’t quite themselves. When this happened, I’d take them aside, talk to them, and help in whatever way I could.”
“I can put my hand on my heart and say I’ve done my best for people when they needed it.”
When asked what kept him going through 31 years of shifts, Dave said: “It’s a calling. My family always said I was made for this.”
“What makes me proud is knowing that somewhere across the region, especially at Christmas, there are families sitting around the table with loved ones who might not have been there if it wasn’t for the work my colleagues and I have done.”
Away from the demands of emergency response, Dave has a creative side too, recently teaching himself to read music and play the saxophone, a challenge he approached with the same determination he brought to his clinical career.
Speaking about Dave’s impact in the ambulance service, HART and special operations manager Sid Murphy, said: “Tuna’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter for EMAS and the Hazardous Area Response Team.”
“His authenticity, courage, and unwavering commitment to doing the right thing have made a lasting different to the service, his colleagues, and to countless patients across the region.”
“Thank you, Dave, for 31 years of outstanding service.”
