New 4WD vehicle for Roma Ambulance officers

During a tour of south west Queensland, Police and Community Safety Minister Jack Dempsey today visited Roma Ambulance Station to hand over a new $183,000 Toyota Troop Carrier Response Vehicle.

“The rural area of Roma brings with it the challenges of diverse terrain and most recently flooding events, which makes off-road capability a necessity for the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS),” Mr Dempsey said.   

“This vehicle is fully-equipped and fitted with high-powered winch and recovery equipment, which will enable access to difficult locations to treat sick and injured patients.

“Roma has faced some severe weather events over recent years, resulting in many properties being isolated by floodwaters for days on end.

“This vehicle will assist paramedics to not only access those in need of emergency medical care, but also to conduct welfare checks on those isolated.

“Furthermore, the vehicle can be used to attend mining incidents and will enhance search and rescue capability.”

Mr Dempsey said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit south west Queensland to see first-hand the fantastic work of emergency and corrective services personnel across the region.

“My visit to Roma today highlighted the outstanding pre-hospital medical care local paramedics deliver to their community and I look forward to also visiting the Chinchilla Ambulance Station during my trip,” he said. 

QAS Executive Manager Russell Cooke said the vehicle would greatly assist the crews at Roma Ambulance Station.

“Currently the station has a dedicated team of 15 Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) and one Officer-in-Charge (OIC) who this financial year have responded to approximately 1,515 code one life-threatening emergency cases,” Mr Cooke said.

“The types of jobs crews respond to can vary on a daily basis which makes it vital our paramedics have access to cutting edge resources and the latest training.

“This vehicle will meet the requirements necessary for crews to deliver a high-standard of pre-hospital medical care in a safe and practical environment.”

[ENDS] 15 May 2013

Media Contact: Lea Emery 0417 226 114 or Alexandra Foley 0418 256 910