It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Roland Furber on 4 February 2013. Roland, who was the President of the College of Paramedics, an Honorary Fellow of the College and had been the College's inaugural Chief Executive, had courageously fought ill-health over recent years but despite that, had still managed to drive round the coastline of England, Wales, and Scotland in the spring of 2012. That journey alone personified Roland. It had required months of planning and needed the bottomless reserves of determination, that we all knew he had, to undertake such a challenge on his own. Roland kept his followers up to date with daily blogs which can still be viewed at rolandsramble. wordpress.com, a record which has been converted into a book.
Roland had a long and distinguished career in the UK ambulance services beginning in 1967 and had held a number of senior positions throughout his career. Following retirement from the ambulance service he became tho enormous contribution to the paramedic profession and in setting up and managing the British Paramedic Association (BPA) which later became the College of Paramedics. To most people, Roland's professional history and achievements would represent a very full and busy life with not much time left for anything else. But remarkably, over the years, he and Carol also fostered more than 100 children.
In recognition of his many and significant contributions Roland became the first recipient of the College of Paramedics’ Lifetime Achievement which was reported as follows in the College of Paramedics September 2012 Newsletter:
The College of Paramedics has made its first Lifetime Achievement Award and is delighted to announce that the recipient is Roland Furber, former Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics. Roland began his ambulance service career in Berkshire in 1967 as a 19 year old. During his time in Berkshire he progressed to the position of Assistant Training Officer before transferring to Surrey where he had been appointed Regional Training Officer. Roland spent 15 years in Surrey in which time he became a paramedic, attended the Clapham rail disaster and was part of the group that wrote the first national curriculum for paramedic training. He was Course Director on the first two national paramedic training courses on which the students were training officers from around the UK who then returned to their regions to set up paramedic training locally. In 1989, Roland transferred to Derbyshire as the Deputy Chief Officer and under the merger which created the East Midlands Ambulance Service, became Director of Operations until his retirement due to ill-health in 2001 at the age of 55. Roland then became part of the group responsible for establishing the professional body for paramedics and in 2002 wrote the business plan for what became the British Paramedic Association (BPA). He became the inaugural Chief Executive of the BPA in 2003 and retired from the position, which had by then become Chief Executive the College of Paramedics, in 2010. Roland and his late wife Carol made an enormous contribution to the development of the paramedics' professional body, both working tirelessly over seven years to ensure it had the foundation to grow from its conception to the organisation it is today. Since his retirement from the Chief Executive position, Roland has been the President of the College of Paramedics. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Roland by John Martin (Vice-Chair of the College of Paramedics) and Lorna Downing (former Director of Membership Services and who had worked closely with Roland prior to his retirement). While Roland has indicated that he will be writing to Professor Andy Newton the Chair of the College, he has stated that he is very proud and honoured to have received the Award. In commenting on Roland's achievement, Andy Newton said that in a career spanning 43 years, Roland had been one of the central characters in the conception and development of a paramedic service and the profession for almost 40 of those years. He went on to say the Lifetime Achievement Award was fitting recognition for a remarkable career in ambulance and paramedic services and for significant contribution to the paramedic profession.
In its tribute to Roland, the Council of the College of Paramedics referred to Roland as one of the profession's founding fathers. Without Roland's commitment and dedication to extended training in the 1980s and the development of paramedics and the paramedic profession through to the present day, it is unlikely that the profession would have progressed to its current standing. The websites of both the College of Paramedics and Ambulance Today received many tributes and condolences for Roland which can be viewed at collegeofparamedics.co.uk and ambulancetoday.co.uk. The following tributes have been made by members of the College of Paramedics’ Executive:
‘I felt privileged to have known and worked with Roland, he was without doubt one of the most hard working and decent men I have ever met. Roland had a great generosity of spirit and a genuine warmth and kindness which was apparent to all who knew him. He was also a tireless advocate for the paramedic profession; his memory will rightly live on in the hearts and affections of those in our profession.’ Professor Andy Newton, Chair of the College of Paramedics
‘It is almost impossible to find the words that would adequately describe what Roland has meant to me and hundreds of others who eventually became paramedics. When I was much younger and in my early ambulance service career, we all believed we had so much more to offer and were so frustrated at the lack of progress. Most of us hadn't even heard of Roland Furber at that stage but we soon did and we gratefully followed his lead which changed so many lives, mine included. I feel very privileged to have known Roland, to have been trained by him on the first national extended training pilot course, and to have followed him as Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics. Roland has been unparalleled as a role model and an inspiration and he has a permanent place in our thoughts and within the paramedic profession.’ Dave Hodge, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics
‘Roland leaves an outstanding legacy for the paramedic profession. I will remember him for his amazing commitment and dedication always going the extra mile, his ability to see the best in everybody and his inspiring vision for the future of paramedics.’ John Martin, Vice-Chair of the College of Paramedics
At its meeting in Bridgwater on 7 February 2013 the Governing Council of the College of Paramedics paid tribute to Roland and the minutes record him as
‘a man of integrity, commitment and passion and …. that the paramedic profession owed a great debt to him and his late wife Carol both of who had worked tirelessly and unselfishly for the profession and the professional body. They had both given so much and had enabled the BPA to become established by turning their dining room into an office. There is absolutely no doubt that the profession and the professional body would not be where it is today had it not been for Roland and Carol Furber.’
Council members stood and reflected on Roland's life and contribution to their profession during a minute's silence after which Graham Harris offered to donate £450 to sponsor student attendance at conferences during 2013 and that with the family's approval this would be named in honour of Roland. Council agreed that this would be a fitting legacy and providing Roland's family agree, it should be established as an annual award which would stand alongside the already established Carol Furber Award.
A large number of former colleagues and acquaintances joined Roland's extended family in Derby on Monday 18 February at the funeral service which fittingly was preceded by a Guard of Honour provided by the East Midlands Ambulance Service. As has already been said in many of the tributes, we all feel very privileged to have known Roland Furber, an extraordinary and remarkable man.
