Three new Hato Hone St John vehicles were unveiled this week, with Patron Richard Blundell (left) among those attending. Photo / Hato Hone St John
Three new Hato Hone St John vehicles were unveiled this week, with Patron Richard Blundell (left) among those attending. Photo / Hato Hone St John
Threenew Hato Hone St John vehicles will be hitting the roads to support Northlanders in need.
Two emergency ambulances are destined for Otamatea and Bream Bay, and a patient transfer service ambulance will be based in Kawakawa.
The additions were made possible because of support from Grassroots Trust,which dedicates itself to providing funding to local communities.
Hato Hone St John said the current government funding did not meet all operational and capital costs of the emergency ambulance service, so fundraising played a critical role in managing that gap.
The three vehicles were unveiled during a dedication at Bream Bay station in Ruakākā on Thursday.
The event was attended by Hato Hone St John dignitaries and operations staff, Grassroots Trust representatives and local Patuharakeke iwi members.
The two emergency ambulance vehicles are the newest Generation 4 model.
Three new Hato Hone St John vehicles funded by Grassroots Trust include a patient transport service ambulance for Kawakawa (left). Photo / Hato Hone St John
They were fitted with modern equipment, including a power-load stretcher and stair carry chair, making it easier to move patients.
The new patient transfer ambulance was also the latest model, with power units for specialist hospital equipment and seating for up to four people, whether they be hospital escorts, patients or relatives.
Hato Hone St John’s patient transfer service is a 24-hour, seven days a week service for emergency, urgent and standard transfers.
The transfers were often for patients who required specialist services or a higher level of care that was not available at a particular facility, such as a retirement village.
Hato Hone St John Northland district operations manager Ben Lockie said the vehicles were vital to getting patients where they needed to be.
“Ambulances are our office, clinic, protection, our light source and a 12-hour mobile home. Inside, ambulance officers care for patients, but they also care for each other – debriefing incidents, discussing their personal lives, and sharing the daily emotions that are an inevitable part of the job," he said.
“In these vehicles, our staff become family and develop bonds that are unique and difficult to describe to those outside the service.”
Lockie said that thanks to the donation from Grassroots Trust, Hato Hone St John would be able to continue to make a difference in people’s lives.
Grassroots Trust chairman Martin Bradley said he was proud the organisation was able to support such an essential service.
Over three years the trust has funded 14 ambulances, three additional emergency vehicles and other essential resources for communities countrywide.
“The commitment shown by the staff and volunteers at Hato Hone St John should be an inspiration to everyone,” Bradley said.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
