WORKING in the Limestone Coast as the lead ambulance officer for more than a decade, Andrew Thomas will relocate north next week to take on a brand new challenge.
As the region’s current operations manager, Mr Thomas has led a team of paramedics who have cared for the Limestone Coast community over the last 12 years.
His success in the region has helped him secure the role of Northern Territory St John’s Ambulance Services director, which he will start next week.
Mr Thomas said it was a bitter-sweet feeling to be leaving the Limestone Coast, which his family had made home.
“I have enjoyed my time in the region, particularly working with the staff in the ambulance service, but I have also enjoyed the positive relationships that have been built across the emergency services, the health sector and the community,” Mr Thomas said.
“I am very much looking forward to the new challenge, it will be a big change not only in the scope of the role, but also just moving from the complete bottom of Australia to the top.”
He said it was the amazing personnel that make up the ambulance service in the region which he will miss the most.
“We have some amazing volunteers and it has been my absolute pleasure to be providing the leadership for those people and supporting them to serve their communities,” he said.
“Also the staff within the career stations are just wonderful caregivers and professionals in terms of their roles.”
Reflecting on some of the jobs he had been involved in, Mr Thomas said it was the ability to coordinate a collaborative approach with other emergency services which stood out.
“Over the period of time down here, we have seen all the emergency services build their capacity, particularly in relation to vertical access and patient access around some of those difficult areas,” he said.
“We have had a couple of jobs at Southend and then the car incident at the Blue Lake where we have seen emergency services work well together to achieve the end aim of accessing and supporting a patient in a difficult situation.”
Paramedics deal with tragedy every day, but Mr Thomas said there were always tales of survival which fill employees with pride.
He identified one example involving the quick response from the community when a friend and teammate experienced a cardiac arrest on the baseball diamond.
“It is great to see community provide that initial CPR, have early access to defibrillation and then call the ambulance service so they were able to respond quickly,” he said.
“When you have those positive outcomes and then have the person walk out of hospital and come and see the crews to say thank you, it really does give you that heartfelt emotion.”
Mr Thomas said he had seen a positive change in the ability for the community to provide appropriate care before staff arrive during his 25 years at the ambulance service.
“That is something that has been internationally and nationally recognised, that awareness of CPR and early defibrillation has definitely grown over the last number of years and obviously that gives people a greater chance at survival,” Mr Thomas said.
“That is coupled with our own expansion of service delivery where in the careers sector we now have 24-hour active crewing at all of the stations.”
Mr Thomas said he was ultimately proud of what he had achieved in the Limestone Coast.
“As well as ambulance service, there has been a lot of community groups I have been lucky to be involved with and the Limestone Coast is a positive community,” he said.
“It is well-connected and supportive and I have really enjoyed my time here.
“I can say the community is lucky to have ambulance staff – whether paid or volunteer – they will give their all to their patients to provide care to the best of their ability.”
