Bay St John boosts full-timers by 20pc

EXCITED: St John emergency medical technician Jay Jones and Hamish Thurston are former volunteers who have secured full-time jobs with the service in the Bay after a nationwide recruitment drive.PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK

Western Bay St John has increased its frontline staff by 20 per cent with the creation of eight full-time roles in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

Nationally 158 new operational positions have been rolled out in 35 locations due to funding by St John, the Accident Compensation Corporation and Ministry of Health.

St John Central Region Western Bay of Plenty territory manager Ross Clarke said the move meant "more ambulances on the road" and would improve service response times, reduce single crewing levels, and improve patient and staff safety.

Rapid growth in the region and an increasing workload helped it secure more full-time employees.

"It is a big step forward for our area and great for the community," he said.

Crews attended a variety of incidents including accidents, through to heart attacks, breathing problems and collapses. They also did social care work and put plans in place for patients, he said.

Before the recruitment started it had 40 paid staff and 110 volunteers. However, another 30 were still needed to cover the 574 volunteer hours needed to help man the 12 ambulances in the Western Bay.

"We still rely heavily on volunteers to provide the service we do. They are a crucial part of St John."

All of the new staff were chosen from its volunteer ranks, which was "exciting", he said.

St John emergency medical technician Jay Jones has taken on one of the eight roles and started this week. She began volunteering for St John four years ago in her hometown, in Invercargill.

"It is one of the the most rewarding things I have ever done," she said.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two wanted to give back after a St John crew picked her up following a personal injury.

"I thought, wow, they do a wonderful job so I asked lots of questions, went along and joined up. I also wanted to show how you can juggle home life and be a volunteer."

Some may say it runs in the family. Husband Craig was a St John intensive care paramedic and the couple transferred to Tauranga one year ago.

"I am very excited and words cannot express how I feel to have this opportunity. I am very fortunate. I love Tauranga. It is the best move we have ever made and as much as I love the south we would never go back to live."

Former Otumoetai College student Hamish Thurston said he was undecided on a career at school and "jumped around a lot," before studying electrical engineering.

He started volunteering with St John three years ago at events and also gained his emergency medical technician diploma.

Securing a full-time job with St John was a dream come true for the 21-year-old who was studying toward a paramedic's degree.

"I have a real passion for this type of work. St John is very supportive of its volunteers with training and helps you progress up the ranks. It is very cool for me to get a full-time job this early on."