Mike Burrows is set to move on

Mike Burrows has been more than just the station manager for St John at Cooper's Beach for the last 11 years. While he insists, quite properly, that he is just part of a strong, committed team, in many respects he has long been the public face of St John at Doubtless Bay. But not for much longer.

Mr Burrows will leave at the end of this week to take up the manager's position at Whitianga, confident that he is leaving the station in a much stronger position than it enjoyed when he arrived.

In 2002 Doubtless Bay St John had five volunteers; now there are 25. He would like 30, he said last week, but the current roster is sufficient to negate any need for single-crewing, even though the 'job rate' had risen from around 300 a year to 800.

Mr Burrows began the process of qualifying as a paramedic and winning a paid position with the organisation as a volunteer in Kaitaia more than 20 years ago. The then owner/operator of a main street lunchbar was on the volunteer roster for 10 years, the final three of which he spent as a manager at the local supermarket.

Joy Carter was in charge in Kaitaia in those days, originally as a volunteer but later as the town's first paid ambulance officer.

When he qualified as a paramedic in 2002 he applied for the station manager's job at Doubtless Bay, and got it. And while the station's volunteer roster had had its ups and downs since then, he had no doubts regarding the key to keeping numbers up.

"You have to be able to relate to everyone in this job. It's one of the secrets," he said.

"You have to be out in the community and get buy-in from the community. I've always believed that, and in return we've had fantastic support from community groups, from floral art to the Lions. We've worked hard to establish St John as a good organisation, as part of the community it serves, and the response has been our reward for that.

"I can't say enough how grateful I am to everyone who has supported what we've been doing here for the last 11 years.

"We've had some great achievements here, but they've been collective achievements," he added.

"Everyone has had a hand in it. I'm proud of what we've got here, and I'm proud of the people who do such a wonderful job."

Meanwhile Whitianga was a busier station than Doubtless Bay, and a "nice new one" to boot, although that was not to be taken as any criticism of Doubtless Bay.

"This is a great ambulance station," he said.

"It's absolutely ideal. It really is a good one."

And in one respect it might well have an edge over Whitianga. Mr Burrows' office has a panoramic view of Doubtless, a view that Whitianga can't begin to match.

Toni Allies will hold the position of acting station manager until Mr Burrows' successor arrives in December.