“ Th e first 8-10 minutes is crucial to a person’s survival rate after a cardiac arrest.”

A fresh, new partnership between St John

Ambulance WA and Surf Life Saving WA

(SLSWA) will help make beaches that little

bit safer in the event of a cardiac arrest

emergency. In 2011, the network of people

trained in the St John Ambulance First

Responder system was expanded to include

members of SLSWA.

The fi rst 8-10 minutes is crucial to a

person’s survival rate after a cardiac arrest.

With every minute of delay, the risk of death

increases by 10 per cent, so a fast response

is vital. A cardiac arrest can happen to

anyone at any time, so this new beach-

based trial in partnership with SLSWA

means there will be an increase in trained

fi rst responders available to be on the

scene of incidents with Automated External

Defi brillators (AED). This availability could

make all the difference to saving someone’s

life while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

This First Responder trial program will run

from January 4 through to the end of April

at some of the state’s most popular seaside

spots: Cottesloe Beach in the metropolitan

area, Middleton Beach (Albany), Secret

Harbour (Rockingham), Smiths Beach

(Yallingup) and Yallingup Beach.

A fresh, new partnership between St John

Ambulance WA and Surf Life Saving WA

will help make beaches that little

e Sa

ner

Timely Trial to Save Beach-goers

The BulletinMARCH 2011

inside Kununurra Patient Transfer Heaven

Saving Lives with 12-lead Trial

Cambodia Calls

Volunteers Lend a Hand to QLD

Flood Victims

How the beach-based First Responder

system trial works:

A triple zero call (000) is received by a

St John Ambulance Communications

Offi cer. If the patient is in a First Responder

location, a system alert is triggered

indicating that a registered fi rst responder

could be close to the emergency area.

The Operations Centre despatches

an ambulance and contacts the First

Responder responsible for that location.

The First Responder heads to the

emergency area and starts critical

resuscitation techniques, using an AED if

necessary before the ambulance arrives.

As yet, there have been no incidents

to report where these beachside First

Responders have been called upon.

However both St John Ambulance WA

and SLSWA are keen to see a successful

trial outcome that will see an extension

to more West Australian beaches in the

coming years. If you have any queries

from individuals or organisations interested

in becoming part of our First Responder

system contact Project Manager, Sally

Simmonds on 08 9334 1222.

WIN a $100 G

ift Voucher

See back for d

etails

This year will be

a very exciting

one for St John

Ambulance where

we will really start

to see the benefi ts

from all of the

contract and funding

announcements made last year. Prior to

Christmas we had the largest ever number

of new Communications Offi cers commence

their training - 24 in total. During January, 33

new Patient Transport Offi cers and 49 Student

Ambulance Offi cers have commenced their

induction program. While such a large number

of new operational staff coming through

training and commencing their duties more

or less at the same time really stretches our

capacity, we are all thrilled to fi nally see growth

starting to come to fruition.

For those of you who have had the

opportunity to visit Belmont recently you

may have seen the changes and expansion

occurring in the Operations Centre. This

re-modelling has been necessary to

accommodate the growth in staff numbers

and the additional country support capability

we are putting in place. Thank you to everyone

for the patience shown during the renovations.

As the organisation grows rapidly over

the next few years it is important we get

the management and support structures

established in such a way that we can ensure

we deliver on all of our commitments and

contractual obligations. We have already

seen signifi cant changes to the structures

and way in which we manage clinical

governance. Similar changes are now also

underway with our structures in country and

training. While such signifi cant change can

be confronting to some of the people directly

involved it is something that is necessary and

will see a ‘raising of the bar’ in terms of the

quality of the services we are able to provide.

January saw the release of the 2011

Productivity Commission Report on

Government Services. This report

demonstrates that West Australians get an

ambulance service that performs very well

compared to others around Australia. This

year’s report includes an analysis of hospital

data that identifi es the proportion of patients

presenting at Emergency Departments who

arrived by ambulance. The analysis shows that

nationally, on average, slightly less than 5% of

non-urgent patients presenting at EDs arrive

by ambulance. It is pleasing to note that, in

both Western Australia and Victoria, the fi gure

is only 2.5%. This means that 97.5% of

non-urgent patients presenting at WA

Emergency Departments arrive by their own

means. This is an excellent result. While we all

know we do get some patients who use the

ambulance service when they should not, the

analysis does put things into perspective.

In my view, the most important analysis in

the productivity commission report is the

patient satisfaction survey. The same survey

is conducted in each State and Territory

with the results compiled and analysed

by Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing

Services at the University of SA.

The results in each of the graphs on the

right show the percentage of people who

were either satisfi ed or very satisfi ed.

Consistently we see satisfaction levels

between 97 per cent and 99 per cent.

This is an outstanding achievement and

is a testament to the competence and

professionalism of ambulance operational

staff around the country.

I would like to congratulate all our

ambulance operational staff on this

outstanding achievement.

While there has been a lot of focus on

ambulance over the past year or so, our fi rst

aid training and industrial health services have

quietly continued going about their business

and are achieving some fantastic results.

In both of these areas recent structural

changes will, I am sure, contribute to some

extraordinary growth over the next few years.

Also, a special thank you to our VFAS

members for their contribution during 2010.

The role you play in providing fi rst aid services

to our community is very important within the

range of pre-hospital services provided by

St John Ambulance and the competent and

professional way in which you deliver fi rst aid

services to our community is something we

are all very proud of.

Finally, to all of our personnel, that is, the 1000

staff and 4000 volunteers, thank you for your

efforts. You are all vital to the success of St

John Ambulance in Western Australia and can

justifi ably feel very proud of the achievements

of 2010. I hope you share with me the

excitement of the opportunities ahead in 2011.

A word from the CEOWelcome to th e first edition of our Bulletin for 2011. I hope all of

our staff and volunteers had a great Christmas and N ew Year. I

would especially like to thank all of our operational and support

staff and volunteers who worked over th e festive period. It is hard

not being free to spend as much tim e as you might like with family

and friends and it is often just that bit more difficult dealing

with death, illness and injury over this period. Everyone who was

involved with providing our range of services over this period did a

great job and again I would like to say, ‘thank you’.

From the Editor

This is my fi rst involvement in The Bulletin,

and I’m very pleased to unveil a fresh

looking magazine that will hopefully keep

you informed and update you on the

many things happening across St John

Ambulance in Western Australia. I’ve been

amazed by the work that’s been done by

St John Ambulance over the very short

amount of time I’ve been working with the

organisation and this edition is packed with

great stories about what our people are

doing across the State. From partnerships

with Surf Life Saving (WA), the innovative

iPad patient care record device, the

latest on the Changes Lives recruitment

campaign and much more in this summer

edition will hopefully give you a snapshot

of some of our amazing people and what

they do. A good magazine is owned and

supported by its readers, so I’d really like

to welcome you to contribute to these

publications and I certainly welcome

your feedback. If you have stories,

ideas, photos or letters that you’d like

showcased in future editions, please

email them through to the Corporate

Affairs department for consideration via

public.relations@ambulance.net.au

Happy reading!

Drew Mazalevskis

The Bulletin Editor

Welcome to th e Bulletins First Edition for 2011.

Tony Ahern

Chief Executive Offi cer

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

Patient Satisfaction Treatment

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

1.00

0.95

0.90

TABLE TO COME

Patient Satisfaction – Phone Answer Time

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

1.00

0.98

0.96

0.94

0.92

0.90

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

Patient Satisfaction Paramedic Attitude

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

1.00

0.95

0.90

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

Patient Satisfaction – Ambulance Arrival Time

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

1.05

0.95

0.85

Patient Satisfaction – Overall

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

1.00

0.98

0.96

0.94

0.92

0.90

The PCR Revolution Close at HandTh e St John revolution in

electronic patient care record

management, training and

communications is now closer

than ever. Th e days of not

being able to access th e Depot

PC will be gone with on-road

staff being able to obtain

digital content on th eir own

iPad via th e new St John

custom built ePC R system.

Following consultation and extensive

research of four potential systems, the

new ePCR system is now being custom

developed for St John by a specialist

software development team. This unique

approach will provide on-road staff and

the organisation with a range of valuable

advantages not obtainable through any

other commercially developed solution.

As development progresses, Team Leaders

and Clinical Support Paramedics will soon

begin demonstrating the system to

on-road staff, while at the same time

gathering feedback for the project group.

The St John ePCR system will provide

on-road staff with an easy to use, quick

and effi cient Patient Care Record system,

as well as additional benefi ts including:

An effi cient, portable and

paperless system;

Improved communication processes

to on-road staff;

Increased access for on-road staff to

complete training, e-learning and other

professional development opportunities;

Availability of regular clinical updates;

Personal iPad use outside of work;

Real-time links to the SJA Computer

Aided Dispatch and Patient Recording

and billing systems; and

A customised system that can easily

grow with the organisation’s needs.

As part of the system, more than 850

Apple iPads will be issued to individual staff

members in the Metropolitan Ambulance and

Patient Transfer Vehicle fl eets. Not only will

these devices be integral to supporting the

ePCR system, but at the end of the shift they

can be taken home for personal use.

This amazing new PCR technology

will provide on-road staff with greater

fl exibility and better access to day-to-

day organisational information via email,

e-learning opportunities, and circulars.

The St John system will be the fi rst integrated

electronic PCR system in Australia that

also offers electronic communications and

e-learning capabilities.

Stay up-to-date with the latest developments

on this ground-breaking project by visiting

http://webserver.ambulance.net.au/ePCR

PACA Study Takes Honours

St John Ambulance Clinical

Services Director Professor Ian

Jacobs presented th e findings

of a landmark study into th e

use of adrenaline in cardiac

arrest at two international

forums late last year.

Professor Jacobs addressed both the

Resuscitation Science Symposium held in

Chicago and the European Resuscitation

Council Conference held in Portugal about

this world fi rst study.

Taking more than three years to complete,

the research was motivated by the lack

of clinical evidence to support the use of

adrenaline in resuscitation. For many years,

adrenaline has been accepted as the primary

pharmacological agent as a standard of care

in resuscitation in a cardiac arrest event,

despite a total absence of any clinical trial

evidence to establish its effectiveness.

The acclaimed study, entitled Randomised

Placebo Controlled Trial of Adrenaline

in Cardiac Arrest - the PACA Trial, was

undertaken by Professor Ian Jacobs and his

colleagues Professors Judith Finn, George

Jelinek, Peter Thompson and Dr Harry Oxer.

It involved a randomised placebo controlled

trial of adrenaline in out-of-hospital cardiac

arrest cases in Perth between August 2006

and November 2009. Patients were randomly

assigned to receive either 1ml doses of

adrenaline or a similar dose of sodium

chloride as a placebo.

The conclusions of the landmark study

revealed that the use of adrenaline in cardiac

arrest was associated with a signifi cant

increase in the proportion of patients

achieving a return of spontaneous circulation

after a cardiac arrest. In addition to this, a

doubling of survival to hospital discharge

was also observed although this was not

statistically signifi cant. Results showed that

while adrenaline improves short term survival

following cardiac arrest, the study was unable

to demonstrate conclusively that its use

improves the overall chance of survival in

those suffering cardiac arrest.

Professor Jacobs said there may be

several reasons for this fi nding and further

investigation was required into the post

resuscitation period in those achieving ‘return

of spontaneous circulation’ to identify clinical

strategies to further improve survival.

“Clinical research of this nature continues

within the ambulance service to ensure that

patients receive the best possible evidence-

based pre-hospital care available,” Professor

Jacobs said.

The study was funded by the National

Health and Medical Research Council

(Australia) and undertaken in partnership

with St John Ambulance WA and the

University of Western Australia.

“The study was highly awarded at both

international meetings, which is an

impressive tribute to the cutting edge

research undertaken by St John Ambulance

and the University of Western Australia,

“Professor Jacobs said. “It is also a mark

of the professionalism of the St John

Ambulance paramedics.”

Th e St John Human Resources team has been recruiting extensively

for key operational positions within th e organisation. Our initial

recruitment drive for th ese positions began in June 2010 and th e

launch of th e Change Lives advertising campaign in November

has seen a significant increase in public interest to work for our

organisation. Th e Change Lives Campaign will ensure we continue to

meet targets which will ultimately lead to furth er improvem ents in

our organisation’s efficiency and quality of service.

Key dates in 2011:

7 February – Student Ambulance Offi cer

applications opened to commence mid-

year intake. There are 50 places in each

category of ECU and Induction School.

21 March – applications for Communications

Offi cers open, St John Ambulance WA are

looking to fi ll 20 positions.

27 June – Student Ambulance Offi cer

applications will open for commencement

in January 2012.

Recruitment statistics and numbers as

of February 2011:

In January appointed a Clinical Governance

Manager to support on-road staff.

Appointed a Community Paramedic,

Recruitment Report

In the fi rst three months, more than 1000

people expressed an interest via the

new recruitment website in becoming a

Paramedic, Patient Transport Offi cer or

Communications Offi cer. Additional interest

has also been generated in other general

employment roles and in volunteering.

The fully integrated campaign comprises

year-long television advertising across

Western Australia; production of outdoor

bus shelter signage in metropolitan areas;

a strong online digital presence including

website banner advertising and Google

Adwords; electronic direct marketing via

email communications; and the launch of

a new recruitment website.

In addition to recruiting more staff, the

Change Lives campaign continues to

educate the community about the role

St John plays in ‘changing lives’, while

showcasing the diversity of the team

of people we have working across

the organisation.

The new recruitment micro site at

www.stjohnchangelives.com.au

The web banner advertising appears

on the high traffi c websites such as

Perth Now and WA Today.

Change Lives Recruitment Campaign in Full SwingTh e launch of th e brand and recruitment Change Lives campaign

in November 2010 has resulted in an unprecedented response in th e

number of people enquiring about career opportunities with th e

organisation.

a new position in Karratha, to support

volunteers and the community.

Welcomed two new Paramedics to

Broome in January.

16 new direct entry Paramedics and

Ambulance Offi cers have commenced

so far this fi nancial year – one school

commenced in October 2010 and another

on 14 February 2011.

18 direct entry Paramedics and

Ambulance Offi cers have been offered a

position with St John Ambulance (Western

Australia) to commence in April 2011.

15 direct entry Paramedics and Ambulance

Offi cer positions are currently being

recruited to commence in June 2011.

Barry Patten was enjoying a leisurely Saturday

at home when he experienced pain in his

chest. He took a little while to register that

something serious may have been wrong,

but with the encouragement of his wife,

decided to call 000. St John Paramedics

Bruno De Longis and Richard Lucus from the

Armadale Depot arrived to fi nd their patient in

the suspected early stages of a heart attack

(Acute Myocardial Infarction), a condition

experienced by thousands of Australians every

year. The paramedics went to work applying

a 12-lead electro cardiogram (ECG) to record

the electrical activity of Barry’s heart from a

variety of different angles. This equipment is

used to assist in diagnosing a heart attack.

Barry had now become part of a trial being

conducted since July 2010 by SJA and the

University of Western Australia. The trial has

already demonstrated encouraging results

in terms of improving outcomes for patients

suffering a heart attack.

The purpose of the trial is to test the

hypotheses that employing a 12-lead ECG in

the pre-hospital setting, rather than waiting

for the patient to arrive at the Emergency

Department, leads to a better outcome for

the patient. The 12-lead ECG system works

by transmitting more detailed information

on the heart’s condition directly to specialist

Emergency Physicians and Cardiologists

while en route to the hospital.

This allows a decision as to the best course

of action to be made sooner which can be

implemented immediately when the ambulance

arrives at hospital.

Thankfully for Barry, his story had a happy

ending. On arriving at RPH, he was transferred

straight through to the cardiac catheterisation

unit to have a stent inserted. A week after this

life-changing event Barry started taking short

walks, but was still adamant about tracking

down the two paramedics who saved his life

that day. Barry found his heroes and emailed

through his heart-felt message:

“These guys had my life in their hands and

didn’t let me down or the good name of St

John Ambulance. Well, all turned out well

for me and I live to tell my story... Bruno and

Richard from the Armadale section, I wish

to thank you for saving my life. This may be

dismissed as ‘just doing my job’ but from my

side of the fence you guys are the best. What

can I say but, thank you.”

The St John 12-lead ECG Trial will run though

until April 2011 after which the results will be

reviewed by the project team, led by Professor

Ian Jacobs. The fi ndings of the study will be

used to assist SJA to determine if 12-lead ECG

technology should be implemented across

the ambulance service. More details and great

outcomes from this important trial will be

communicated over the coming months.

Putting Saving Lives to the Test: 12-lead Trial

Recruitment Section Previous Record Figure Actual Figure

(as at Feb 2011)

Communications Offi cers 10 per annum 24

Student Ambulance Offi cers One school per annum Two schools

Student Ambulance Offi cers

(January induction)35 per annum 50

Student Ambulance Offi cers (ECU) 41 per annum 50

Transport Offi cers (recruited during

2010/2011 fi nancial year)18 per annum 46

Life-changing Trip for NatalieKalgoorlie Paramedic Natalie Osmetti had

one of her dreams come true when she

spent two weeks in Cambodia late last

year delivering welcome medical care and

supplies to the local people. Natalie was

part of a 14-strong contingent of mainly

volunteers, coordinated by Perth-based

charity group Awareness Cambodia.

During their trip, the team visited isolated

villages and orphanages in Phnom Penh

delivering the medical relief and caring

for disadvantaged communities and

young children. An experienced St John

Ambulance Paramedic, Natalie said

that her time in Cambodia was a stark

reminder of the poor health conditions

found in a third world country.

“Despite the ongoing challenges of limited

medical equipment and supplies, language

and cultural barriers, it was a privilege to

help these people and I feel lucky to have

had the experience,” Natalie said.

“The highlight of the trip was the

overwhelming humbleness, kindness and

love towards us from the Cambodians,”

she said. “At the end of the day a smile of

thanks, a hold of the hand and a cuddle

from a child touched my heart.”

“Medical assistance that we take for

granted in Australia was welcomed

graciously and with so much

appreciation. It was also a great

experience to work with like-minded

people from various backgrounds and

to use my knowledge and expertise

to work as a team providing medical

assistance and education.”

Natalie said the hardest part about

leaving Cambodia was knowing that the

Western world could provide so much

more assistance to this third world country

in the form of medical assistance and

basic welfare.

“I didn’t feel guilty about returning to

Australia but rather helpless - I wanted to

be able to do more - so I have decided to

sponsor a child, and to take up another

opportunity to return to Cambodia in

September this year.

“I want to be able to bring awareness to

the atrocities these people have suffered

and the poor conditions that they endure

every day,” she added.

For more information on how to

get involved in any of Awareness

Cambodia’s projects or to sponsor a

child at the number of Sunshine House

orphanages, as Natalie now does,

visit www.awarecam.org.au

New Patient Transfer Heaven for Kununurra (RV)On a hot Tuesday in December,

St John Ambulance Kununurra

togeth er, with th e Shire of

Wyndham East Kimberley,

proudly opened th e brand new

Patient Transfer Facility at

Kununurra Regional Airport.

This facility began with a seed of an idea

back in 2006. Joanna Campbell, the St

John Offi ce Manager at the time, began to

research the idea of building such a facility

to protect the patients, ambulance and

Royal Flying Doctor (RFDS) crews from the

extreme Kimberley elements.

This amazing lady put in a huge amount

of groundwork and submitted numerous

funding applications, however none were

approved at that time. Not discouraged,

Joanna secured the ideal allotment of airside

land, found willing building contractors and

in true local style, reined in all her contacts

from around the area and harangued them

mercilessly until they agreed to do their bit

for free. She was one tough woman.

Sadly Joanna fell ill in late 2007, and all

good things went by the wayside for a while.

Changes began to happen at the centre,

and with the ‘Target 20 Campaign’ in full

swing, came a whole new generation of

eager volunteers and committee members.

One such eager volunteer was the new

Committee Chairman Don Learbuch who

put the new patient transfer facility back

on the front burner. Letters were sent to

all businesses, support was drummed up

from health and emergency services, and

Don became the pesky bloke that shire

presidents, CEOs and councillors saw

coming and ducked for cover. More funding

applications and more rejections followed. It

was very much a case of, unless you were

a patient or the crew on the tarmac in 50

degree simmering heat, or faced wet season

onslaughts then seriously, did Kununurra

really need such an extravagant transfer

facility (and where was Kununurra anyway?).

Well, yes we did.

Finally some good soul looked outside

the square from their federal department

and made a call to the local shire, asking

that very same question. The reply was

a resounding, ‘yes - this should have

happened 15 years ago’.

Suffi ce to say, we fi nally got our funding.

And in a further coup, we joined forces

with the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley

and our facility became a bigger and much

better reality.

Completed in June 2010, the Kununurra

Patient Transfer Facility has been described

as the benchmark of all such facilities

in Western Australia. It is a modern,

comfortable design that provides a smooth

undercover transfer of the patient from

ambulance to RFDS. The facility resembles

a hospital ward environment with a single

ward bed, curtains, toilet and shower, and

a kitchen nook with tea and coffee, fridge,

microwave and ceiling mounted television.

There is a desk with a computer, internet

and fax access. There is even a stash

of chocolate and banana Paddlepops in

the freezer for the fl ight crews, lovingly

maintained by the volunteers.

Sadly, Jo Campbell passed away in April

2008 without even seeing the foundations

of her legacy and hard work laid. We are

fairly sure she has been monitoring the

whole ‘shebang’ closely, and fairly sure she

would have sent a lightning bolt had we

considered naming the facility after her.

So, with all the fanfare and heat of a

remote Kimberley event, the Kununurra

Patient Facility was offi cially opened on

14 December 2010 by Federal Minister for

Education, Employment and Workplace

Relations and Social Inclusion, the Hon

Simon Crean. The Minister stood side-by-

side with proud volunteers, RFDS crew and

Medical Director, Kununurra Hospital staff,

Shire President, CEO, local dignitaries, and

a mightily impressed Leanne Dale from

St John Ambulance’s Belmont Head Offi ce.

Our Patient Transfer Facility is a pleasant

and welcoming environment at a moment

when patients are at their most vulnerable,

and when crews are in need of refreshment

and rejuvenation. Just ask the 241

patients who had already enjoyed this new

experience by the time the morning of the

long awaited offi cial opening arrived.

Bonny Rugendyke

Offi ce Manager / Volunteer, Kununurra

A contingent of St John

Ambulance volunteer first

aiders recently returned

from a trip to Queensland

to support recovery efforts

following th e devastating

floods that struck

in January.

The team consisted of 11 advanced fi rst

aiders who spent close to a week working

in a variety of different recovery operations

in the greater Brisbane areas. Two of the

team members were deployed to the

Command Centre to assist with planning

and logistics while others were allocated

to clean-up teams in some of the worst

affected areas such as Ipswich.

The team was made up of experienced

fi rst aid volunteers from all walks of

life; retired career fi re fi ghters, nurses,

university students, and people from the

hospitality industry to name but a few.

The West Australian contingent joined

forces with other teams from St John

Ambulance in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania,

South Australia and the ACT to support

the recovery task force.

Team travel was donated by Virgin Blue as

part of an arrangement between St John

Ambulance Australia and Virgin for support

during times of national disasters.

Volunteers Lend a Hand in Queensland

Gosnells VFAS Celebrates a Jubilant Discovery Th e Gosnells Volunteer First

Aid Service (VFAS) recently

celebrated 60 years of service to

th e community thanks in part to

th e discovery of an important

piece of archival history in th e

form of a registration certificate.

The Gosnells operation was established in

1949 as a volunteer ambulance service sub

centre and was the fi rst to offer volunteering

opportunities to both men and women. In the

1970s ambulance operations were centralised

and allowed for paid offi cers to provide a full

time service. Volunteers typically transitioned

into the operations branch, now known as

VFAS, to provide assistance at large events

or natural disasters such as bushfi res.

These days the service is supported by people

from all walks of life who are keen to make a

contribution to the community and often include

enthusiastic paramedic and nursing students.

Now in its 61st year, the Gosnells service

accommodates a 24-hour ambulance service,

hosts regular public fi rst aid training courses,

and is the home of the Gosnells VFAS and

Cadet divisions. It shares the honour of

being one of only four divisions, including

Wanneroo, Perth and Fremantle, that have

been recognised in Western Australia for length

of service. St John congratulates this valuable

service and its committed volunteers on a

remarkable milestone.

Each year, VFAS members contribute more

than 52,000 hours of free service to the

community. All members are thoroughly trained

using up-to-date equipment and fi nd these

skills are often transferable to many other

emergency situations. There is no cost involved

in membership and St John Ambulance

prides itself on offering fl exible volunteering

opportunities to everyone.

Anyone interested in joining St John

Ambulance WA’s Volunteer First Aid Service

is encouraged to call (08) 9334 1310 or

visit www.stjohnambulance.com.au

Service HonoursAt St John Ambulance we

are very mindful that without

th e input of our committed

volunteers, th e world-standard

ambulance service that we

provide covering th e vast

state of WA would not be

possible. As an organisation,

we want to acknowledge our

volunteers’ commitment by

awarding eligible individuals

an honorary badge.

St John Ambulance Volunteer badges

will be presented for periods of voluntary

service exceeding three, six and nine

years. To be eligible, you will need to be a

current, active ambulance volunteer and/

or sub centre volunteer with a registered

volunteer number, have completed a

minimum of 60 hours voluntary service

for each year, and have maintained

the skills required to perform your role.

Voluntary service in any area of activity for

your Sub Centre can be included such

as: gardening/building maintenance,

vehicle maintenance, committee work or

ambulance roster activity.

Service Honours available to Volunteers:

Acknowledgement Certifi cate:

one or two years of service (no minimum

hours required)

3 Year Badge – minimum of

60 hrs annual voluntary service for

more than 3 years

6 Year Badge – minimum of 60 hrs

annual voluntary service for more

than 6 years

9 Year Badge – minimum of 60 hrs

annual voluntary service for more

than 9 years.

Once the registration process is completed,

certifi cates and badges will be sent to Sub

Centres for distribution. As a reminder, it

would be greatly helpful if you could also

take this opportunity to upgrade your

nominee’s personnel records.

For further clarifi cation on eligibility or

where to fi nd nomination forms, contact

Richard Chappell, Volunteer Coordinator on

(08) 9334 1306, email Richard.Chappell@

ambulance.net.au or talk to your relevant

Regional Manager. Sub Centre committees

are asked to forward all application forms

for St John Ambulance Volunteer Awards

by 15th April, 2011.

Images courtesy of Corporate Affairs Department and Archer Imagery. If you have any photos you’d like added to

the next Bulletin newsletter, please email them through to the Editorial Team via public.relations@ambulance.net.au

What’s On – Events CalendarMark these upcoming event dates in your diary.

AprilWed 6 – Fri 8: Business Services exhibits

at Mining Australia Trade Show, Perth

Sat 9: Investiture - St John Australia WA,

Perth Town Hall

Fri 29: Casual for a Cause, supporting the

Starlight Foundation, Belmont Head Offi ce

MayFri 27: Casual for a Cause, supporting

the Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest

Morning Tea, Belmont Head Offi ce

Fri 27 – Sun 29: SJAA National Member

Convention, Hobart

Sun 29: SJAA National Church Service, Hobart

TBC: Friends of St John

JuneFri 24: Casual for a Cause, supporting SIDS

& Kids Red Nose Day, Belmont Head Offi ce

JulyFri 29: Casual for a Cause, supporting

the Blood Bank, Belmont Head Offi ce

AugustFri 26 – Sat 27: Sub Centre Conference, Perth

Sat 27: Annual Dinner Dance

SeptemberFri 30: Casual for a Cause, supporting the Royal

Flying Doctor Service, Belmont Head Offi ce

TBC: Friends of St John

OctoberWed 5 – Sat 8: Australasian College

of Ambulance Professionals, Sydney

Wed 12 – Thu 13: Council of Ambulance

Authorities Convention, Sydney

Mon 24: Annual Chapter Meeting

NovemberTBC: Annual Golf Day

DecemberTBC: Annual Christmas Function & Awards

Please note, dates may vary based on

business or operational requirements.

If you have any events you’d like added

to the next Bulletin newsletter, please

email them through to the Events Team

via events@ambulance.net.au

Snapshot!What’s been happening in the wonderful world of SJA?

New Kids on the Block... Introducing the Events Team

VFAS undertook a promotional photo shoot in February 2011.

A record number of 50 new Student Ambulance Offi cers conduct CPR Training.

Jyles Coad-Ward received a Special Commendation at the 2010 Christmas Function.

Attendees enjoy the 2010 Sub Centre Conference.

The Laverton Team exhibit at the 2010 Sub Centre Conference.

Industrial Health Services have a presence on-site at Cape Preston.

St John Ambulance conducts a variety of corporate events

that are of benefi t to staff, volunteers and the community.

These include the Annual Sub Centre Conference, Dinner

Dance, VFAS Annual Awards, Paramedic Graduations,

Christmas Awards function and the Annual Golf Day.

The newly created Events Department sits within

Corporate Affairs and can provide full event management

assistance, including concept development, venue selection

and liaison, food and beverage management, travel and

accommodation management, speaker and presentation

management, technical production, theming, staging and

on-site management.

Michelle and Tahlia can take the stress out of planning your next

event (large or small) and ensure your objectives are achieved.

Corporate Meetings

Conferences

Tradeshows

Award and Special Occasion Ceremonies

Media Launches

VIP Visits

Community Affairs Fundraising

Corporate Sports / Team Building

To contact the Events team, call 08 9334 1243 or

email events@ambulance.net.au

Leveraging on St John Ambulance’s

values, The Bulletin editorial team

are looking at ‘green’ options for

distributing future editions. Green

options not only provide a more

environmentally friendly footprint, but

can also be a more economical option.

One option is that future editions of

The Bulletin could be distributed via

email to all on-road staff, administration

and support staff, Sub Centres

and volunteers.

This is your chance to let us know what

you think about a greener Bulletin –

simply update your contact details and

you could go into the draw to win one

of fi ve fantastic prizes!

Bulletin Going Green?

The Bulletin is the offi cial magazine of St John Ambulance WA, bringing you news of what we are doing across Western Australia, published and produced by the Corporate Affairs Department.

We welcome your feedback

We welcome views, suggestions, photos and letters from readers. All contributions may be edited for legal reasons, space restrictions or clarity. Let us know what you would like to read in future issues.

To contribute to the magazine or make an enquiry, contact the Editorial Team on 08 9334 1237 or public.relations@ambulance.net.au

Copyright St John Ambulance WA, 209 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont, WA 6104

Tribute to a Mate - Michael La Verde

In December, St John lost a valued

member of our family, Mike La Verde,

from the Ambulance Radio Section.

During his 10 years with us, Mike was an

excellent radio technician who loved helping

people and would go out of his way to

ensure our career and volunteer staff

received the best service possible.

What made him special was that radio

work to him was more than a job, it was

his passion.

We will miss him very much and the

things that made Michael so special to us

– his love of music (Elvis and ACDC), his

endless energy, his passionate support of St

John Ambulance and his dedication to his

dearly loved family.

We extend our sincere condolences to

Michael’s wife Cathy, their children Marco

and Nicola, and family on the tragic loss of a

wonderful young man.

John Watts

(Manager Fleet & Radio Communication)

9/10/1973 – 12/12/2010

“ What made him special was that radio work to him was more than a job, it was his passion.”

St John Ambulance in Numbers

The number of St John Ambulance staff

on the February 2011 payroll.1,099

The number of dedicated staff who provide

a fl exible supply chain to SJAA WA.19

The total number of commencement or offers

for Paramedics, Transport Offi cers, and

Communications Offi cers this fi nancial year to date.165

The average number of patients presenting to

SJA’s Industrial Health Service remote mine site

medical staff throughout Western Australia.235

The number of Country Ambulance Volunteers at March 2011.3,033

The number of country ambulance volunteers recruited in the last three months.134

The year the fi rst Cadet units commenced at Fremantle.1936

The actual Supply inventory value

for February 2011 month end.$969,000

The total number of students trained during

2010 through the First Aid Focus Program.46,292

The number of new Ambulances stocked by Supply this

fi nancial year (the most ever recorded in one year).22

New Media Guidelines

WIN a $100 Voucher!

Name:

Physical Address:

Postal Address: (Same as above )

Contact Phone: Mobile: Email:

Would you prefer to receive future editions of The Bulletin by: Email Printed Copy

Do you currently have access to the St John Ambulance Intranet: Yes No Unsure

Your details will be updated on the St John Ambulance database, CHRIS21, so that you may receive future editions of the Bulletin, updated information about the organisation

and upcoming St John Ambulance events. The database is managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Please tick this box if you do not wish to receive this correspondence.

St John Ambulance Australia (Western Australia) has released new Media Guidelines.

These guidelines apply to all employees and volunteers so please make sure you familiarise

yourself. To view the new Media Guidelines visit the Corporate Affairs page on the Intranet,

contact your manager or Sub Centre Coordinator.

For your chance to win one of fi ve $100 gift vouchers, simply complete the form below and return to:

Fax: 08 9334 1368 Email: events@ambulance.net.au

Post: St John Ambulance Events Team, PO Box 183, BELMONT WA 6984

If you win, you will be able to select your $100 gift voucher from one of the following stores:

Coles Group & Myer Wish Gift Card (Woolworths / Big W / Dick Smith) Target / Target Country

Bunnings Boating, Camping, Fishing (BCF)

Forms must be returned by 5:00pm 31st May 2011 to go into the draw to win.

Winners will be contacted by phone and will be announced on the Intranet.