Good morning everyone, what a privilege to be with you here this morning in Homebush, for a very special event, the birthday of New South Wales Ambulance.
I’d like thank Michael for that Welcome to Country, acknowledge all of the alumni from New South Wales Ambulance, the paramedics who are here with us, as well as Susan Pearce, Donna, the Minister for Health, Ryan, and Dominic Morgan.
And thank you, Dominic, for bringing along the very first ambulance that you rode in, not that long ago.
It’s amazing. I’m not sure how to dial a U-1808, but anyway. Things have changed. It’s fantastic to be here.
In Australia, paramedics are always amongst our most trusted professions, and for the new recruits that are with us on your first day, as I understand it, that you’re joining a very proud, very trusted organisation.
And the truth of the matter is, over 130 years, the people who’ve made up this amazing department have earned that reputation. You’ve earned it at sports fields, on the side of roads, in living rooms, in hospital corridors, in some of life’s toughest and loneliest places.
Wherever people are at the most vulnerable, you’ve been there. And today is our opportunity, on behalf of the people of New South Wales, to thank you for that care and also to acknowledge the extraordinary progress that has taken place within New South Wales Ambulance and paramedics.
In 1895 New South Wales was a very different place. Horse drawn carriages filled our stony streets, and unfortunately, infectious diseases were rife.
Early paramedics worked with stretches on foot, then on horse and bicycle, before finally getting a motor car.
We’re now at the point where New South Wales Ambulance responds to more than 1.5 million emergencies each year.
That’s one every 21 seconds.
We’ve got 250 stations.
We have modern medicine, modern equipment, the right treatment for a heart attack.
But the core of your work remains the same as it did over 130 years ago.
People who are lifesavers, who are caregivers, and anyone that’s ever needed to call an ambulance will know the feeling of reassurance that you bring by coming through the door.
If you’re prone, lying there, racked in pain after an accident, if your child becomes violently ill and you’re not quite sure what the reason is.
If you know a loved one is in dire need of help in an emergency, the feeling of knowing that there’s someone to call and the relief when that someone arrives, is something everybody in this state knows about and is deeply, deeply appreciative of.
For most people when they’re calling an ambulance, it may well be the worst day of their life.
Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid that pain and the drama, the anxiety attached with that phone call.
But the truth of the matter is, people that put on your uniform have to deal – have to deal with that anxiety every single day of your working lives.
And I want to acknowledge that that can come at a great price, whether it’s physical or psychological. But you continue to do your duty, and you do it knowing the risks.
So, on behalf of the government, I want to thank you for 130 years of service.
And on a side note, today, plus a couple of days, brings a 12-month anniversary of a shocking, shocking violent crime in Bondi Junction and my association with the paramedics that worked on that day, along with Ryan Park, was one of steadfast dedication, absolute professionalism and genuine bravery.
The paramedics they turned up to Bondi Junction on that afternoon, had no idea what they were facing and yet, every single one of them got there to do their duty.
And a member of your sister agency, the New South Wales Police, Amy Scott is a genuine Australian hero, one that we all owe a massive debt of gratitude to and is an inspiration to those who work in emergency services regardless of your department in New South Wales.
So, I want to acknowledge and honour the generations of paramedics. The control centre staff, the support staff, the doctors, the nurses, the chaplains.
Thank you for your courage and care on behalf of the people of New South Wales.
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