THE commendations to ambulance staff who attended the Great Heck rail disaster are richly deserved.

Although they are trained to deal with the unthinkable, nothing could prepare them for what they faced that morning.

Paramedics had a matter of seconds to take in the scale of the carnage and then decide which of the many injured people needed their help most urgently.

Their professionalism and skill saved many lives.

The ambulance crews were long overdue their honours.

Their heroics that cold February day will not be forgotten.

Updated: 11:32 Thursday, December 04, 2003