St John will be celebrating the work of our paramedics and first responders – both paid staff and volunteers – on the
inaugural Australasian International Paramedics Day this Friday (8 July, 2022).
As part of the celebrations, St John will be joining the Australasian College of Paramedicine, the Council of Ambulance
Authorities, Te Kaunihera Manapou Paramedic Council and Wellington Free Ambulance to thank our people and share the many
ways they serve their communities through their incredible mahi.
St John Chief Executive Peter Bradley says he welcomes the opportunity to celebrate paramedics for their skills,
commitment and dedication to serving their communities every day, particularly during the challenges of the COVID-19
pandemic.
“Throughout the pandemic, paramedics and first responders have put the wellbeing and interests of others first, working
tirelessly in the most challenging of circumstances,” Mr Bradley says.
“Now being able to highlight and acknowledge their work on a dedicated day is a great development.”
Mr Bradley says it’s also great to be able to highlight the incredibly high standard of clinical practice that
paramedics uphold, culminating in the introduction of paramedic registration in New Zealand in 2021.
“The move to register our paramedics was part of a set of system-wide improvements that began four years ago, which
include the double crewing of all emergency ambulances, the introduction of extended care paramedics, a review of the
role that our critical care workforce plays in delivering improved patient outcomes, and other developments in patient
pathways that ensure the right care at the right time.”
Mr Bradley says in addition to the year-on-year increase in demand for emergency ambulance services, paramedicine also
increasingly bears some responsibility for community health.
“The pandemic has certainly highlighted the need to strengthen the role of paramedics in the community, providing care
closer to home and integrating services and pathways.”
Being of service to the community is the central theme to the day and a chance to showcase the incredible diversity in
the field of paramedicine and pre-hospital emergency care, across a breadth and depth of roles and locations.
While this campaign is being run by Australasian College of Paramedicine, the idea to dedicate a day to paramedics and
first responders was coined in the United Kingdom by the Paramedics, whose focus is on celebrating the concept of
showing pride for paramedicine.
St John paramedics and first responders are joining other Australasian counterparts in sharing how they serve their
communities by creating short videos and images. This material will be collated by Australasian College of Paramedicine
on their website from July 8.