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Transcript of 2008 2009 Annual Report
08/09
For th e Service of Humanity
117TH ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORTTHE COMMANDERY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION 4
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 6
STRATEGIC DIRECTION 9
EXECUTIVE TEAM 10
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT 12
Introduction 12
Financial Position 13
Ambulance Service 18
Paramedic Education Program 26
Community Services 27
Volunteer First Aid Services 29
Community Care 32
Capital Works Programme 34
Ceremonies and Heritage Functions 35
HONOURS AND AWARDS 36
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 37
ROLL OF MEMBERS OF THE ORDER IN WA 40
PROMOTIONS, ADMISSIONS AND COMMENDATIONS 43
Contents
St John Ambulance has been operating
in Western Australian for over 117 years.
From humble beginnings in 1892 when the
organisation was established and commenced
public fi rst aid training, through to 1922
when it took control of the state’s ambulance
services until the present day, the focus of
St John Ambulance has always been to serve
the community.
2008/09 was a year of great change in
St John Ambulance’s operating environment,
with the election of a new state government
and the impending impact of the global
fi nancial crisis. While changes in our operating
environment presented the organisation with
some signifi cant challenges, it has once again
been a year of signifi cant achievement with:
193,166 ambulance patients
throughout the state
The employment of 72 new ambulance
offi cers and paramedics
A record number of fi rst aid training students
44,271 school students trained as part
of the fi rst aid in schools initiative
886 career paramedics, communications
and patient transport offi cers trained
2,040 volunteer ambulance offi cers trained
Continued support from Lotterywest
Another very successful two-day Country
Conference with almost 400 participants
on the fi rst day and over 500 on the second
day, representing Sub Centre’s from
around the state
Further consolidation of our heritage
and ceremonial functions through the
“Friends of St John”.
As an organisation, we strive to ensure we are
modern and vibrant while at the same time
ensuring we function as one organisation.
While our focus is on providing a range of
humanitarian services, we celebrate with pride
our history and heritage.
St John Ambulance in Western Australia
is the most successful fi rst aid training
organisation within Australia. We provide a
world class ambulance service that is equal
or better in quality to the other Australian
ambulance services and with our signifi cant
volunteer contribution we ensure access to
ambulance services no matter where people
may reside throughout the vast state of
Western Australia.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 05
Chairman’s Introduction
To th e thousands of St John people, staff, volunteers and Friends of St John, thank you for your contribution towards th e continuing success of this great organisation.
04 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
DR HARRY OXER
COUNCIL MEMBER
SHAYNE LESLIE
COUNCIL MEMBER
KEVIN YOUNG
COUNCIL MEMBER
JACK BARKER
COUNCIL MEMBER
IAN KAYE-EDDIE
COUNCIL MEMBER
MERLE ISBISTER
COUNCIL MEMBER
TONY AHERN
CEO
GERARD KING
CHAIRMAN
Organisational Structure - State Council
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 0706 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Absent: Dr Richard Lugg and Dr John van der Post. Retired: Ken Ford.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 0908 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
St John Ambulance in Western Australia
operates under a simple and transparent
governance structure. The governing body
of St John Ambulance in Western Australia is
the St John Ambulance Council. The Council
is responsible for all major policy decisions
affecting the Order of St John in Western
Australia. The legal entity for this body is
known as St John Ambulance Australia
(Western Australia) Inc.
In addition to the Council, St John Ambulance
in Western Australia has a property trustee.
This body is responsible for all real property
of St John Ambulance in Western Australia.
Its legal entity is an incorporated association
known as the “St John Ambulance Association
in Western Australia Inc”.
St John Ambulance primarily fulfi ls its mission
of serving the community through fi rst aid
and ambulance services. An important
characteristic of St John in Western Australia
is the degree to which it maintains its focus
on these core functions. In an environment of
ever increasing complexity, this focus is even
more important.
An expansion of the vision is:
St John Ambulance in Western Australia
is a charitable, not-for-profi t, humanitarian
organisation serving the community
through fi rst aid.
It achieves this by relieving sickness and
distress in the community by means of:
1. Providing high quality, cost effective
ambulance services.
2. Maximising the number of people who are
trained in fi rst aid.
3. Providing high quality fi rst aid services at
community events, gatherings and at times
of major incidents and disasters.
4. Maximising the number of fi rst aid products
(kits and defi brillators etc) readily available in
the community.
The majority of activities carried out by
St John Ambulance complement these four
areas. Additional activities are undertaken
specifi cally to raise funds to assist in the main
purpose ‘For the Service of Humanity’. Other
activities include humanitarian commitments
such as providing Community Care services
and raising funds for various Australian and
International ophthalmic projects.
In guiding the organisation on our journey
of serving humanity, we strive to follow the
eight strategic principles.
Organisational Structure
CONSERVATIVE IN FINANCE
ALLOWING MISTAKES
Strategic Direction
SENSITIVITY TO THE WORLD
VALUING PEOPLE
ORGANISED FOR LEARNING
ENCOURAGING NEW IDEAS
AWARENESS OF IDENTITY
SHAPING THE HUMAN COMMUNITY
STATE COUNCIL
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AMBULANCE
SERVICES
EMERGENCY AMBULANCE
PATIENT TRANSPORT
INDUSTRIAL PARAMEDICS
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
FIRST AID
TRAINING
FIRST AID COURSES
KIT SALES AND
SERVICING
FIRST RESPONDER
FIRST AID
SERVICES
EVENT MANAGEMENT
FIRST AID SERVICE
PROVISION
COMMUNITY CARE
SERVICES
CONTACT WITH
LONELY ELDERLY
CEREMONIAL
AND HERITAGE
CEREMONIES
FRIENDS OF ST JOHN
FELLOWSHIP
FUNCTIONS FOR STAFF
AND VOLUNTEERS
PROPERTY TRUSTEE
ANTHONY SMITH
FINANCE DIRECTOR
TONY AHERN
CEO
DR GARRY WILKES
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
LEN FIORI
COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
ASHLEY MORRIS
TECHNICAL SERVICES DIRECTOR
DEBBIE WILSON
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
PETER KING
AMBULANCE SERVICE DIRECTOR
Western Australian Executive Team
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 1110 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Under the governance of the State Council, “the one” St John organisation in Western Australia is managed and guided by the executive team.
Introduction
2008/09 has
been a particularly
challenging year for
St John Ambulance
in Western Australia.
A signifi cant portion
of the year was
dominated by the
negotiations for a wage increase for ambulance,
operations centre and patient transport staff.
There was signifi cant pressure on ambulance
services as a result of increasing strain on
the health system, and the latter part of the
year saw aspects of the St John model being
challenged by some. The global fi nancial crisis
that affected the West Australian economy also
had a signifi cant impact. Notwithstanding these
diffi culties, the organisation has achieved some
very good results.
The strength of the St John model in this
state is the provision of an integrated range
of pre-hospital services including training
the community in fi rst aid, providing fi rst
aid services at major community events,
establishing and coordinating community
fi rst responder systems, providing non
urgent patient transport services through to
the provision of emergency ambulance and
paramedic services.
Our performance indicators and national
benchmarking exercises clearly demonstrate
that we provide our services in an extremely
cost effective manner ensuring the Western
Australian community has high quality pre-
hospital services that are fi nancially sustainable.
First aid training of the general public remains
a key focus for the organisation due to our
knowledge that this is a critical component in
maximising a patient’s chance of survival and a
good recovery from sudden illness or injury. It
is very pleasing to report that we have taught
137,908 people throughout the year and
provided over 48,955 hours of voluntary fi rst
aid services to the community. In our 87th year
of providing the state’s ambulance services we
have seen ambulance activity grow by four per
cent and the continuing operation of 88 fi rst
responder systems.
The end of the fi nancial year saw the completion
of our fi ve year contract with the Department of
Health with all of the initiatives provided in the
contract successfully implemented.
Financial Position
A conservative approach to fi nance is one
of the eight strategic principles that guide
the organisation. 2008/09 has not seen the
successful fi nancial result we have become
accustomed to over the past few years,
particularly for the metropolitan region (State
Offi ce). A number of key factors during
the year resulted in a fi nancial outcome
signifi cantly worse than budgeted. The key
infl uences were:
Reduced revenue from ambulance
accounts including $1m lost revenue due
to industrial action.
Industrial paramedic revenue signifi cantly
down on budget and slightly less
than last year due to the delayed timing
of some contracts.
First aid training revenue well down
on budget and only slightly more than
the previous year.
Generating surpluses is critical to enable
the organisation to invest in the future with
an extensive capital works program. As a
result of the lack of an adequate surplus in
2008/09, a number of actions were taken
in the preparation of the 2009/10 budget to
ensure the organisation achieves the surpluses
necessary for the investment in future services
via the capital works program. The graph
below shows the trend with revenue and
expenditure over the past seven years and
the budgeted position for 2009/10.
Chief Executive Offi cer’s Report
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 1312 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Ambulance
Vehicles
Other
Vehicles
Personnel Patients /
Customers
First Aid
Training
Ambulance
Cover Members Paid Staff Volunteers
Ambulance Service
Metropolitan 102 69 597 165 154,066 118,157
Country Career Sub Centres 44 11 80 384 22,252 10,966 12,567
Country Volunteer Sub Centres 286 14 24 2,221 16,848 8,785 26,584
Sub Total 432 94 701 2,770 193,166 137,908 39,151
Volunteer First Aid Service 27 - 742 6,432 -
Community Care - 120 319 -
Commandery Functions Committee - 5 -
Totals 432 121 701 3,637 199,917 137,908 39,151
State-wide Resourses and Activities for 2008/09 St John WA Metropolitan Region
110,000
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
02/03 03/04 04/05 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10
Total Revenue Total Expenditure
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 15
Metropolitan Income Sources ($’000)
Ambulance Services $49,106 51%
Department of Health $22,767 24%
First Aid Training $8,032 8%
Industrial Paramedics Services $7,467 8%
Other $9,263 9%
Total $96,635
Country Income Sources ($’000)
Ambulance Services $16,130 67%
Department of Health $1,558 7%
First Aid Training $308 1%
Benefi t Fund $1,974 8%
Other $4,149 17%
Total $24,119
Key Financial Indicators
Income
Metropolitan $96,635
Country $24,119
Total $120,754
Expenditure
Metropolitan $97,767
Country $22,997
Total $120,764 Metropolitan Operating Expenditure ($’000)
Personnel $64,143 66%
Property & Vehicles $11,061 11%
Medical & First Aid $2,882 3%
Other $19,681 20%
Total $97,767
Country Operating Expenditure ($’000)
Personnel $8,717 38%
Property & Vehicles $5,269 23%
Medical & First Aid $1,901 8%
Other $7,110 31%
Total $22,997
Lotterywest
Lotterywest continues to provide support
for St John Ambulance with assistance
towards capital projects in volunteer country
centres and the volunteer fi rst aid services.
This year, we received a grant for $963,200
from Lotterywest. While the fi nancial support
provided by Lotterywest is important, even
more signifi cant is the signal this assistance
sends to our volunteers. It provides tangible
support to the hard working volunteers from
the rest of the community. The encouragement
and motivation this provides to our volunteers
cannot be overstated.
The 2009 Lotterywest grant is allocated
as follows:
Volunteer Country Ambulance
Ambulances $415,000
Buildings $320,500
Equipment $127,700
Volunteer First Aid Services
Vehicles $100,000
Th e encouragement and motivation this provides to our volunteers cannot be overstated.
14 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 1716 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Changing lives.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 1918 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Ambulance Service Quality
and Performance
St John Ambulance in Western Australia
prides itself on being an evidence-based
organisation. This means we try to thoroughly
analyse the best evidence available to
determine precisely what we should be doing
with pre-hospital care and to measure whether
we are actually doing things correctly. One
of the most important ways to monitor our
performance is to listen to what our customers
are saying about that performance. We
participate in an annual customer satisfaction
survey. Each state uses a standard survey
questionnaire. The results of the 2009 survey
are demonstrated below.
In addition to the satisfaction survey,
we closely monitor customer complaints.
The analysis of our customer complaints
is as follows.
2008/09 Complaints Summary
Nature of Complaint No.
Attitude 28
Treatment 27
Other 23
Total 78
The analysis shows that we average
approximately fi ve written complaints for every
10,000 cases in the metropolitan area.
The analysis of the 2008/09 complaints was:
CA
LL R
ESP
ON
SE
TIM
E
TREA
TMEN
T S
ATIS
FAC
TIO
N
PAR
AM
EDIC
S C
AR
E
CO
MM
UN
ICAT
ION
STA
FF A
SS
ISTA
NC
E
OVER
ALL
SAT
ISFA
CTI
ON
PAR
AM
EDIC
S S
ATIS
FAC
TIO
N
AM
BU
LAN
CE
AR
RIV
AL
TIM
E
TRIP
/ R
IDE
SAT
ISFA
CTI
ON
99
%
98
%
98
%
98
%
97
%
98
%
97
%
98
%
96
%
98
%
96
%
96
%
95
%
95
%
95
%
93
%
2009 Customer Satisfaction Survey WA
Compared to National Average
% satisfi ed or very satisfi edAustralian Ambulance Activities (Per 100 Population)
17
15
13
11
9
7
5
NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT AUS
Patients Transported Total Patients
Ambulance Service
Ambulance activity continued to increase
during 2008/09 with a total of 193,166 cases.
This represented an increase of four per cent
over the previous year. The 2008/09 workload
was spread throughout the state as follows:
No of Cases
Metropolitan paramedic crews 121,736
Metropolitan paramedic/volunteer[1] 8,716
Metropolitan patient transport crew 23,361
Metropolitan volunteer crew[2] 253
Metropolitan Total 154,066
Country paramedic crews 4,732
Country paramedic/volunteer 17,520
Country volunteer crews 16,848
Country Total 39,100
This analysis shows that across the whole
state, 91 per cent of cases had at least one
career paramedic (or career patient transport
offi cers) with nine per cent of cases being
performed by volunteer crews.
An important aspect of providing effective
ambulance services is to ensure that those
services are not being used unnecessarily for
inappropriate cases. One way in which we
monitor this aspect of our performance is to
compare ambulance activity on a per capita
basis with other States and Territories in
Australia. The 2009 Productivity Commission
Report on Government Services reported
ambulance activity which is indicated in the
graph below.
This analysis demonstrates that only the ACT
has fewer patients per capita than Western
Australia. Some of the larger jurisdictions
transport nearly twice as many patients to
hospital as Western Australia.
Metropolitan Activity Compared
with Country Activity
Paramedic or PTV Crew Attendance Compared
with Volunteer Crew Attendance
Complaints Per 10,000 Cases
98
/99
99
/00
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
3.0
1
3.8
2
4.1
5
4.0
4
7.2
4
4.9
1.8
6
8.2
9
3.5
3
4.4
5
5.0
6
Western Australia
Australia
One of th e most important ways to monitor our performance is to listen to what our customers are saying about that performance.
Country
Activity (20%)
Metropolitan
Activity (80%)
Volunteer Crew
Attendance (9%)
Paramedic/PTV
Crew Attendance
(91%)
Response times are considered an
important indicator for all ambulance services.
Our response time targets are as follows:
90% of Emergency calls within 15 minutes
90% of Urgent calls within 25 minutes
90% of Non urgent calls within 60 minutes
Unfortunately we did not achieve the
response time targets during 2008/09.
For emergency calls we achieved 88.1 per
cent within 15 minutes. For urgent calls 86.1
per cent within 25 minutes and for non
urgent calls 79.6 per cent within 60 minutes.
The combination of signifi cant increases in
ramp time and activity growth has meant
that our “response capacity” has deteriorated
to levels that make the achievement of
the response time targets impossible. In
early 2009, a submission was made to the
Department of Health regarding increasing
our response capacity to levels closer to
those in other Australian states that would
see us able to achieve the response time
targets. As at the end of the fi nancial year,
there has been no commitment by the
Department or Government to this required
increase in response capacity.
Currently, most ambulance services
around Australia report response times
where the clock starts running once the
call information has been gained by the
ambulance call taker. Over the next few
years, Australian Ambulance Services will
all move to commencing the response time
clock from the time the call taker starts
taking the call detail. The graph on right
shows the response times for the past fi ve
years using both methods.
St John Ambulance operates a Patient
Transport Service in Perth and this service
plays a pivotal role within the total ambulance
operation. In 2008/09 we had 23 PTVs in
operation, responding to 23,361 cases.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 2120 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
1 TWO ROCKS
MERRIWA
JOONDALUP
WARWICK LANDSDALE
OSBORNE PARK MORLEY
CENTRAL
MUNDARING
WUNDOWIE
KEWDALE
GOSNELLS
RIVERTON
MELVILLE
SERPENTINEARMADALE
JANDAKOT
KWINANA
COCKBURN
ROCKINGHAM
SECRET HARBOUR
FREMANTLE
VICTORIA PARK
KALAMUNDA
KENSINGTON
MOUNT
NEDLANDS
MIDLAND
11
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1 2
1 2 1 2
2
1
3 1
2 1
1
4
2 2 6
1 4 4
1 2 1
1
1
2 1
1
1 3 1
1
Crew TypeMonday to Friday Saturday and Sunday
Day Shift Night Shift Day Shift Night Shift
24 Hour Paramedic Crews* 28 28 28 28
Day Shift Paramedic Crews 20 0 9 0
Patient Transport Crews 15 2 4 2
Volunteer Ambulance Crews 1 1 1 1
Helicopter Critical Care Crews 1 1 1 1
Totals 65 32 43 32
The following resources are rostered each day in the metropolitan area.
Note: Figures represent the number of crews stationed at each location.
*Start and fi nish times for day shift paramedic crews and patient transport crews
are staggered so that some of these resources are available in the evening. The fi gures above
indicate the minimum to maximum resource levels that currently apply.
24 Hour Ambulance Day Shift Ambulance Volunteer Ambulance HelicopterPatient Transport Crew
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
90
.5
90
.5
89
.0
89
.4
88
.9
89
.0
90
.2
88
.4
88
.1 Emergency Calls Responded
to within 15 Minutes
Urgent Calls Responded
to within 25 Minutes
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
88
.8
88
.8
87
.2
88
.0
87
.5
86
.9
89
.5
87
.0
86
.1
Non-urgent Calls Responded
to within 60 Minutes
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
88
.9
88
.9
86
.7
88
.1
85
.5
87
.4
91
.3
83
.2
79
.6
First Keystroke Response Time
Priority ‘1’ Calls Only
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
Call Response Time
Traditional Reported Response Time
11
.04 12
.32
12
.5
12
.09
11
.57
11
.34
11
.5
11
.48
22 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Operations Centre
The Operations Centre is the hub of
ambulance operations throughout the State
of Western Australia. The staff in this facility
work around the clock to ensure that calls
for ambulances are promptly answered and
dispatched as quickly as possible. Each call is
prioritised based on the information supplied
by the caller.
Each day the operations centre receives
in excess of 1,000 calls for ambulance
assistance. During 2008/09 a review of
staffi ng levels identifi ed the need for further
staff to be appointed to manage increased
call volumes. Education programs for new
staff have been reviewed and will allow
an improved level of mentoring while new
recruits are introduced to the operations
centre environment.
Computer aided dispatch technologies play
a vital role in timely ambulance dispatch. This
year our current technology was reviewed
and compared to similar technology used
internationally. As a result, enhancements to
our existing systems are scheduled for next
year and will play a vital role in ensuring that
response times are minimised.
Distribution of ambulances to hospitals
remains a critical component of the
Operations Centre role and is fundamental
in minimising ambulance ramping at Perth
metropolitan hospitals.
Emergency Rescue Helicopter
The Rescue Helicopter Service, RAC
Rescue 1 completed 411 missions during
2008/09. The Helicopter Service is managed
by the Fire and Rescue Authority (FESA) with
St John Ambulance providing the critical care
paramedics and tasking the service through
our Belmont operations centre.
Metropolitan Workload
96
/97
97
/98
98
/99
99
/00
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
87
,17
1
93
,02
3
99
,35
6
11
1,6
68
11
3,3
72
11
5,6
08
11
4,0
16
11
7,2
09
12
3,5
29
12
8,8
16
13
8,9
96
14
8,1
85
15
4,0
66
Helicopter Missions
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
94
19
0
21
5
28
8
43
9
41
1
Country Workload
96
/97
97
/98
98
/99
99
/00
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
10
,00
0
10
,91
9
10
,69
0
10
,93
4
11
,89
5
12
,79
2
14
,39
6
15
,60
3
16
,56
8
19
,73
8
20
,96
7
22
,28
5
22
,24
7
13
,63
6
13
,16
0
13
,58
6
13
,41
4
12
,66
2
14
,30
8
13
,898
13
,99
9
14,3
35
12
,69
5
13
,61
6
15
,35
2
16
,98
4Country (Volunteer)
Country (Career)
24 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 25
Volunteer Country Services
Western Australia has the world’s largest land
mass covered by a single ambulance service.
The challenge, as with other areas of service
provision, is not the size of the state but rather
the sparse population spread across the
2.5 million square kilometers that is Western
Australia. With 90 per cent of the population
living within 200 km of Perth, it is only possible
to provide good quality ambulance services
throughout the entire state with a signifi cant
volunteer contribution.
The St John model is based on a clear vision
of the most appropriate service delivery model.
Basically, there are two choices: maximise
response locations or maximise qualifi cation
and experience. A fully paid paramedic model is
based on the maximisation of qualifi cations and
experience. The St John model is based on
maximising response locations to get the best
possible response time and patient outcome.
There are 2,567 volunteer ambulance offi cers
and 105 volunteer fi rst aid trainers providing
these vital services. In addition, there are many
other community volunteers providing additional
support services at country Sub Centres.
Country Sub Centres attended 39,100
ambulance cases and trained 19,751 fi rst aid
students during the year. This continues to be
an amazing contribution and is a credit to the
community spirit of Western Australians.
Our volunteer numbers are a testament
to the sustainability of the volunteer model
in Western Australia. The general public
remain prepared to provide their time to
their community through volunteer activities
with St John. Our recruitment and retention
efforts remain focused at a local level.
We continue to maintain a census of volunteer
numbers and ambulance activity levels
in each and every Sub Centre, and work
closely with Sub Centres on specifi c
recruitment practices aimed at maintaining
appropriate volunteers levels.
The modernisation of the country fl eet of
ambulances continues to progress well. There
are now 169 Mercedes ambulances in the
country with fi rm orders for another 19 new
and 35 second-hand Mercedes vehicles. The
Mercedes vehicles are living up to expectations
and their popularity in country areas is very high.
The provision of second hand metropolitan
ambulances to country centres without any
fi nancial outlay by the centre remains a popular
programme and is being well supplemented
with the more fi nancially established Sub
Centres purchasing new vehicles.
The annual country conference again proved
to be an outstanding success with almost
400 participants attending on the fi rst day
and over 500 participants in attendance on
the second day. The event was followed by
the successful annual St John Dinner/Dance
which attracted over 700 people from across
every area of the St John organisation.
Operational Staff Training
St John Ambulance is a Registered Training
Organisation (RTO) under the Australian
Quality Training Framework. As an RTO the
organisation is subject to regular external
auditing requirements. The training of
paramedics, volunteers and Operations
Centre staff is the key to the provision of
high quality ambulance services in our state.
There is a continuing process of re-evaluation
and refi nement of the ways in which we
deliver training. Current training for
operational staff consists of:
Operations Centre
A number of courses provided to the
Operations Centre staff including:
Certifi cate III in Ambulance communications
(Call taking) HLT31907
Certifi cate IV in Ambulance
Communications HLT41107
Annual Refresher Training for Operations
Centre staff
Transport Offi cers
Transport Offi cers undertake routine patient
transport for low acuity patients mainly within
the Perth metropolitan area. Transport Offi cers
complete a certifi cate III in Non-emergency
Client Transport (HLT30207).
Volunteer Ambulance Offi cers
A progressive training package for Volunteer
Ambulance Offi cers is provided. The course
components are units of competency for the
Certifi cate III in Basic Health Care – HLTT33107.
The training of Volunteer Ambulance Offi cers is
carried out by career Ambulance Paramedics
who have been accredited with formal training
and assessment qualifi cations. Within the team
of nine Trainers, there are six Regional Training
Coordinators who are responsible for ensuring
that the training requirements and requests
of all Volunteer Sub-Centres are achieved as
effi ciently and as quickly as possible.
The following courses are currently offered
to Volunteers involved in any on-road
ambulance duties:
Introductory Ambulance Care Course
Primary Ambulance Care Course
Advanced Ambulance Care
Driver Training
Skills and Knowledge Maintenance Program
Cardiac Monitor / Defi brillators
Skills Update Training
Paramedics
St John Ambulance (WA), in partnership
with Edith Cowan University (ECU) has
collaborated towards delivering an innovative
model of education whereby suitable
Paramedical Science candidates are
recruited by St John Ambulance (WA) to
study an undergraduate Bachelor of Science
(Paramedical Science) degree through ECU.
Students are exposed to a unique/ hands-on
course structure that sees them complete
course work through the ECU Paramedical
Science degree, followed by an internship
with St John Ambulance (WA) to become
a qualifi ed St John Ambulance Paramedic.
The distinctive structure of this degree
sees students complete an unpaid study
component in their fi rst year at ECU. After
successful completion of this component,
they become a paid St John Ambulance
employee whilst they complete the remainder
of their degree qualifi cations.
This innovative model of education
prepares students for a dynamic healthcare
environment, inclusive of the public
health, social and clinical aspects of
paramedical science. Students are given
practical hands-on learning that gives them
the confi dence, skills and knowledge to
hit the ground running.
Th e challenge is not th e size of th e state but rath er th e sparse population spread across th e 2.5 million square kilom eters that is Western Australia.
2008 Sub Centre Conference.
26 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Year One (Pre-employment - Unpaid)
One year full-time or two years part-time
university study.
Many of the units are available externally for
those located in remote areas.
Two week full-time driver training course.
Some candidates may be exempt from
some or all of the fi rst year units, depending
on prior university study.
Year Two (Employed)
Years two and three comprise a combination
of on the job training and university studies
both in class and externally.
Full-time Induction Course held at St John
State Offi ce in Belmont comprising a
combination of university units together with
additional organisational components.
At the conclusion of the Induction Course
staff commence on road duties and are
allocated an Ambulance Paramedic tutor.
External units and study block late in the year.
Year Three (Employed)
Working full-time with an Ambulance
Paramedic whilst completing external studies.
Year three may include full-time study blocks
completing units of the degree program.
Those successfully completing this year,
and having successfully completed and
passed all components of the degree,
will be eligible to receive the Bachelor of
Science (Paramedical Science) from ECU.
Year Four (Employed)
An internship working with a senior offi cer
to allow further clinical experience to
be gained prior to attaining the level of
Ambulance Paramedic.
This paramedic education model is seen as
one of the best in Australia. The unique aspect
of this model is that students are selected as
a part of the employment selection process.
The advantages of the St John Ambulance/
Edith Cowan university model is that it produces
“work-ready” paramedics and maintains a strong
link between the supply of paramedic students
and the demand for additional on-road staff.
Professional Development
The professional development seminars
conducted by our Medical Director Dr Garry
Wilkes and our Medical Consultant Dr Harry
Oxer remain very popular. 21 Professional
Development Seminars were conducted
during the 2008/2009 period, with just short
of 600 attendees.
This paramedic education model is seen as one of th e best in Australia.
Community Services
The Community Services Division has
responsibility for all of the organisation’s
customer service activities, other than
ambulance. St John Ambulance is a
humanitarian organisation that maintains a
focus on charitable activities as well as other
commercial activities. All of the organisation’s
commercial activities are aimed at either
fulfi lling a humanitarian service themselves
or providing fi nancial capacity to deliver
charitable services.
The delivery of fi rst aid training and the sale of
fi rst aid and allied products constitute both a
major part of our charitable and humanitarian
activities as well as commercial activities.
First Aid Services and Training
Our growth in fi rst aid student numbers
continues. While the number of fee paying
students was affected by the economic
downturn and remained stable at the previous
year’s level, we saw phenomenal growth in
our charitable fi rst aid training programs. In
particular, the fi rst aid in schools program grew
substantially. The fi rst aid in schools program
ensures we maintain an appropriate balance
between commercial and charitable activities
within our fi rst aid training effort.
We commenced our fi rst aid in schools
program in 2006/07 and trained 14,581
students. In 2007/08 we increased that
number to 19,755. In 2008/09 the number
grew by 124 per cent with 44,271 school
students being taught fi rst aid.
Our total fi rst aid student numbers grew from
118,554 in 2007/08 to 137,908 in 2008/09.
While the growth in the total number of
students exceeded our target for the year,
our fee paying students were below target
and in the latter part of the fi nancial year our
priority and marketing focus has been shifted
towards growing these student numbers.
While the downturn in the economy has
signifi cantly impacted fee paying students,
Western Australia is likely to see a signifi cant
improvement in the economy over the next
couple of years and we will be aiming to use
this to continue the solid growth across all
areas of fi rst aid training.
In Western Australia our total student numbers
for 2008/09 represent 6.3 per cent of the
state’s population. This has grown from 5.6
per cent last year and from 3.2 per cent in
2003. While the additional student numbers
are pleasing, they are secondary to our broader
objective of seeing one member of every
household taught fi rst aid and all children being
taught basic fi rst aid prior to leaving school and
or obtaining their drivers’ licences.
2008/09 First Aid Students by Course Type
Course Type Students
Senior First Aid 54,289
Schools Project 44,271
Other First Aid 12,513
Basic First Aid 13,862
Introductory First Aid 4,925
Advanced First Aid 3,111
CPR123 1,852
Awareness First Aid 1,458
Child First Aid 1,060
First Aid Trainer 567
Total 137,908
First Aid Students Trained Per Capita
02/03 3.2%
03/04 3.5%
04/05 3.9%
05/06 4.0%
06/07 5.3%
07/08 5.5%
08/09 6.3%
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 27
Paramedic Education Program
28 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 29
First Responder
The fi rst responder system was designed
and introduced in an effort to improve people’s
chances of survival from cardiac arrest
by making oxygen and defi brillation available
in those vital minutes before the arrival
of an ambulance.
The system enables community groups
to play a vital role in this important area
of pre-hospital care. Now in its eight year of
operation there are 88 responder systems
in place that collectively were activated
on 258 occasions during 2008/09.
Industrial Paramedic Services
Over the past few years the organisation has
enjoyed signifi cant growth in our Industrial
Paramedic Services. The global fi nancial crisis
has resulted in a deceleration in this business,
and our revenue for 2008/09 did not grow to
the extent that it had been budgeted. Total
revenue for the year was almost $7.5 million.
This area of the organisation’s activities
provides vital funding that is poured back
into the provision of our ambulance and fi rst
aid services. As a result of the lower than
anticipated revenue for 2008/09 some of our
capital works projects had to be deferred.
Currently we have 11 Industrial Paramedic
contracts covering 15 sites and employing
34 industrial paramedics and 5 Registered
Nurses. While demand for these services
was not as strong as expected in 2008/09,
negotiations underway at the end of the
fi nancial year indicate a return to positive
growth in 2009/10.
These services play an important part
in the integrated model of pre-hospital care
delivered by St John Ambulance. Not only
are they a source of revenue for the
organisation but they also provide a vital
service by placing highly qualifi ed and
competent paramedics into remote areas
of the state where access to ambulance
services would otherwise be very limited.
Th e system enables community groups to play a vital role in this important area of pre-hospital care.
RIGS AND VESSELS OFFSHORE
BROOME MEDIVAC
REP5 RAIL - PORT HEDLAND
REP5 RAIL - TURNER BRIDGE
REP5 RAIL - REDMONT
YANDI
YANDI
OREBODY 25JIMBLEBAR
JINAYRINEWMAN
MURRIN MURRIN
PERTH
RAVENSTHORP
MURRAY BASIN DEVELOPMENT
BARROW ISLAND NELSON POINTFINUCANEISLAND
CAPE LAMBERTCAPE PRESTON
THEVANARD ISLAND
Volunteer First Aid Services
A vital component of the integrated pre-
hospital care services provided by the
organisation is the provision of volunteer fi rst
aid services (VFAS). VFAS provides fi rst aid
services at major public events and continues
to be recognised as the premier provider of
these services in Western Australia.
We have fi ve major objectives in the way we
manage this area:
The highest quality fi rst aid training.
Good quality vehicles and equipment
necessary to deliver a high quality service.
A modern and professional image.
For personnel to enjoy their involvement
with St John Ambulance.
Suffi cient numbers to meet the community’s
demands for service.
While we have for many years been successful
in achieving the fi rst four of these objectives,
we do not have suffi cient volunteer numbers
to meet the community’s demand for our
services. During 2008/09 this area of the
organisation was signifi cantly restructured
to bring it more into line with contemporary
governance standards and ensure the service
was designed in a way that it would provide
greater appeal to enable the recruitment of
more volunteers.
A key component of the restructure is the
development of the Divisional Manager position
and a signifi cant increase in the management
and support functions provided by the
Executive Offi cer and the administrative team.
In addition to reviewing support structures,
we have reviewed the training and qualifi cation
goals for VFAS members. This review
has refocused the training effort to ensure
a match with the qualifi cations required for
the services we provide.
Activity
In 2008/09 VFAS completed 48,955 hours of
public duties and treated 6,432 patients.
Training
The training for VFAS Personnel has
continued to be a priority. Four new member
qualifi cations have been implemented:-
Trainee First Aider
First Aider
Senior First Aider
Advanced First Aider
In implementing the four new levels a Trainer
networking program has been developed to
support the training.
2009 has been a consolidation period to
ensure our members’ training requirements
and our service delivery remain a high priority
for Volunteer First Aid Services in W.A.
First Aid Competitions
First Aid competitions are continuing to provide
an avenue for our members to display their
First Aid skills in a competitive environment.
Whilst it is challenging, it is also an opportunity
to have fun and enjoy practicing First Aid
skills. Members competed in the State
championships and then the winners had the
opportunity to attend the National competitions
in Brisbane. Once again our state competed
at the highest level, coming second in both the
team and individual National competitions.
Cadets
Cadet Divisions continue to recruit and expand
their activities and at the same time align
themselves closely with our adult Divisions.
The alignment with adult divisions has involved
creating additional opportunities for both
Cadets and adults to work together in providing
First Aid services at major events throughout
the year. Our focus is on encouraging the 15 to
18 year old Cadets to remain with St John as
they progress towards the adult divisions.
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
06
/07
07
/08
08
/09
41
2
42
6
46
7
51
6
48
3
47
1
48
4
47
1
Adult Membership
30 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 31
Whilst it is challenging, it is also an opportunity to have fun and enjoy practicing First Aid skills.
32 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 33
The organisation endeavours to try to
make the work of our staff and volunteers
as pleasant as possible and wherever we
can create a fun environment. One way this
is done is through our annual Christmas
function. The most important aspect of
this event is the opportunity to thank our
members. This year, in keeping with tradition,
special presentations were made to a number
of our volunteers for length of service. The
following awards were also made:
National Awards
Edwina Ong
Margaret Holland
State / Meritorious Awards
Douglas Gildersleeve
Jane Righton
Don Pederick
Mary Perreau
Beverly Hall
Judy Duckham
Leonard Sutton
Kevin Young
The Chairman’s Award 2008
Mrs Dell Greenwell
Community Care
St John Ambulance is involved in humanitarian
activities outside of the ‘fi rst aid’ sphere. One
of these important activities involves making
a contribution to the well being of the elderly
sector in our community, who may be feeling
lonely and isolated. Our Community Care
Service addresses this objective.
A dedicated group of volunteers care for
the lonely, frail, aged and disabled through
a home visiting programme. While it is a
relatively small team they are a very hard
working group of people who are extremely
dedicated to this service. They receive great
pleasure and satisfaction from bringing
companionship and providing assistance to
many needy people in our community.
Community Care continues to maintain a
strong profi le in the community through
events such as Volunteer Week, Seniors
Week and Have a Go Day, CWA meetings,
autumn clubs, Church groups and other
community based organisations. The branch
is well recognised and maintains a reputation
of reliability and professionalism.
Volunteers Voluntary Hours Recipients Telephone Calls Kilometers
2004/05 94 9,765 862 2,459 82,729
2005/06 95 9,358 738 1,659 61,434
2006/07 104 9,647 289 2,183 67,888
2007/08 121 9,335 341 3,543 73,449
2008/09 120 6,683 319 2,309 42,286
Activities
Th ey are a very hard working group of people who are extrem ely dedicated to this service.
34 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 35
Capital Works Programme
During the year $8.06 million was invested
into the organisation’s capital program. This
investment comprised of a signifi cant information
technology replacement and upgrade program,
4 new Patient Transport Vehicles, 36 new
Ambulance Vehicles including three 4WDs
and 28 other fl eet vehicles. This high level of
investment in the vehicle fl eet has a positive
impact on our country centres by allowing
ex metropolitan Mercedes ambulances to be
provided to country centres virtually cost free.
The organisation continued its signifi cant
investment in the equipment replacement
programs including defi brillators, stretchers,
communications and other vital equipment
across the whole of the organisation.
In addition the organisation has an ongoing
building upgrade program to ensure the best
facilities are available to staff, students and
volunteers for the delivery of ambulance and
fi rst aid training services.
The capital buildings that were completed or
in progress during the year were:
Construction Completed 2008/09
Mandurah Ambulance Depot and
refurbishment of the Training Centre
Bassendean VFAS and Training Centre
Due for Completion 2009/10
Bunbury Training Centre extensions
Due to commence in 2009/10
Joondalup Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre
The following capital projects are at
various stages in the planning process for
the period 2010 to 2017:
Morley Ambulance Depot
Replacement of Nedlands
Ambulance Depot
Murdoch Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre – Fiona Stanley Hospital
Northam Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre
Belmont Supply and Distribution Centre
Armadale Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre
Broome Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre
Busselton Sub Centre Extensions
Kalgoolie Ambulance Depot and
Training Centre
Ceremonies and Heritage Functions
St John Ambulance in Western Australia owes
its success to the dedication of thousands of
people, both staff and volunteers, who built
the foundations for the organisation we have
today. We honour and respect those people
and the contribution they have made through
our ceremonial and heritage functions.
As a Christian based organisation, one of
the traditions we maintain is the annual
St John church service held on the Sunday
on or immediately after St John the Baptist
day. This year the service was held at
St Hilda’s school chapel. The Knight
Commander, the Governor Dr Ken Michael
was in attendance and conducted the
enrolment of 28 cadets into St John.
The Ophthalmic Branch, a group of dedicated
volunteers, continue their activities to
raise funds for the Eye hospital in Jerusalem.
This year, their activities raised a total
of $13,045 which combined with received
donations of $40,480 ensured a total of
$53,525 was sent to this worthy cause.
One of the highlights of the organisation’s
ceremonial calendar is the annual investiture
where St John Ambulance is able to thank
those who contribute signifi cantly to the
continuing good work of the Order in Western
Australia. This years Investiture was held in
April 2009. The Governor, Dr Ken Michael
received 31 recipients for promotion and
presentation of awards. Another busy
and dedicated group of volunteers in
the organisation are those involved with
fellowship. This group meets regularly and
maintains contact with retired volunteers and
ensures those that are frail or unwell maintain
their contact with the organisation.
The Friends of St John concept aims to create
a forum for people who may have had an
involvement with St John in the past, either as
a volunteer or staff member and who want to
continue that involvement. The group is also
open to people who may never have had a
previous involvement but would just like to be
a part of the organisation. The Friends of St
John meet quarterly.
St John in Western Australia is grateful to all of
those who continue to provide a link between
our proud heritage and our ongoing service to
the community including our Librarian Dr Edith
Khangure and the museum volunteers, the
ladies auxiliary, members of fellowship and the
Friends of St John.
Again this year we have sadly seen the
passing of a number of members of the Order
and their presence will be deeply missed.
Please see a list of obituaries in the Roll of
members on the fi nal page of this report.
St John in Western Australia is grateful to all of those who continue to provide a link between our proud h eritage and our ongoing service to th e community.
Bassendean VFAS and Training Centre.
36 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 37
Ambulance Service Medal
The Ambulance Service Medal is issued
by the Federal Government as part of the
Australia Day Honours.
Michael James Jack
Evelyn Brady
Brian McLuckie
National Medal
The National Medal is awarded to people
who have given 15 years service to the
defence forces, police, fi re or ambulance
services. A clasp to the medal is given for
each 10 years additional service.
National Medal
Danny Barron
William Devine
Rodney Griffi n
Christine Hunter
Michael Peter McDonald
Christopher Oakes
Clifford Shanhun
Wayne Tognolini
Murray Woodward
First Clasp
Geoffrey John Byrne
Brian McLuckie
Alan Stephen Tolley
Service Medal
The Service Medal of the Order is awarded
for 12 years voluntary service within St John
Ambulance Australia. A bar is added to the
Service Medal for every fi ve years of service
thereafter (including VFAS recipients).
Service Medal
Arnold Bogaers
Lisa Chrystal
Trudy Clothier
Clifford Fishlock
Carol Gale
Andrew Fraser Gooder
Kelly Ann Green
Gary Guelfi
Enid Dixon Home
Catherine Ivey
Matthew Edward Jaskolski
Heather Jongedyk
Terry Lamey
Heather Malacari
Linden Mandry
Terence Richard Mason
Maureen Mortimer
Karen Mullins
Mark Mullins
Jan Murray
Barbara June Provan
Carol Anne Reed
Debra May Rhodes
Christine Robinson
Jeffrey Rowland
David James Saunders
Margaret Hazel Smith
Pauline Smoker
Theresa Wilks
Judith Williams
First Bar
Arnold Bogaers
Robert Clarke
Damian Peter Davini
Clifford Fishlock
Andrew Fraser Gooder
Gary Guelfi
Annabel Knapp
Vince McKenney
Owen Penrhyn Randell
Michael Robertson
Wendy Robertson
Pauline Smoker
Dirk Christopher Sunley
Michael Taylor
Judith Williams
Second Bar
Clifford Fishlock
Douglas James Gildersleeve
Terrence Gladish
Andrew Fraser Gooder
Norma Winifred Merritt
Stephen Metcalf
Arthur Arnold Putland
Michael Robertson
David James Saunders
Andrea Marie Williams
Judith Williams
Third Bar
Robert William Balloch
Robert Christopher Gibson
Douglas James Gildersleeve
Patricia Naomi Hatch
Ronald Vaughan Knapp
Arthur Arnold Putland
David James Saunders
Fourth Bar
Neil Crofts
Charles Gerschow
Douglas James Gildersleeve
Paul Jones
Ronald Vaughan Knapp
David James Saunders
Julie Anne Watkins
Fifth Bar
Brian Kenneth Hampson
Ronald Vaughan Knapp
David James Saunders
Carole Schelfhout
Brian Tripp
Sixth Bar
Frank Barnett Murray
Seventh Bar
Otto Gerschow
Sub Centre of the Year
Moora Sub Centre
Volunteer of the Year
Rob Stedman, Brookton Sub Centre
Trainer of the Year
Ellis Godwin, Brunswick Sub Centre
The Ambulance Service Medal recipients, Michael
James Jack, Evelyn Brady and Brian McLuckie.
Honours and Awards Historical Perspective
A Continuing Journey
The St John Ambulance Association was
established in England in 1877 to teach fi rst
aid. It recognised the great need for effective
fi rst aid training to ease the suffering caused
by increasing workplace accidents, transport
and domestic accidents occurring in a rapidly
industrialising and urbanising society.
In 1887 the St John Ambulance Brigade was
created. This was an organisation of uniformed
disciplined members with a military style
hierarchy. Its primary purpose was to provide
volunteer trained fi rst aiders who would give
basic medical assistance at large public events
and during emergencies.
The ambulance movement quickly spread
arriving in Perth in 1892. It was always
envisaged as a state service and within a
decade centres were established in Kalgoorlie,
Boulder and Fremantle. There would be a
steady expansion of sub centres throughout
the state from this time. A men’s division of
the St John Ambulance Brigade was formed
in 1904 whilst the fi rst women’s nursing
division was founded in 1913. Many of these
volunteers served in the First World War
including the women who joined Voluntary Aid
Detachments working in military hospitals.
In the nineteenth century transportation to
hospital was a personal responsibility. From
1902 to 1922 many ambulance corps emerged
including the Fire Brigade, Police, Railways
and the Fremantle Port Authority. They were
uncoordinated, geographically restricted and
gradually overwhelmed by public demand.
The St John Ambulance Association was
seen as the logical choice to take over. It did
this in 1922 from a building in Murray Street
offering transportation of accident cases and,
for the fi rst time, medical cases also. In its fi rst
year some 1873 patients were transported
in 3 ambulances by 4 paid offi cers. Standard
ambulance equipment included bandages,
wooden splints, oil and brandy.
The service spread slowly throughout the
1920s and 1930s. Finances were never easy
and the depression years were particularly
diffi cult. St John formed partnerships with
many charitable institutions including the
Lotteries commission, APEX and Rotary which
continue to the present time. By 1938 –
1939 the number of patients transported was
5174 by 6 offi cers in 4 vans.
Geraldton Ambulance Service in the 1930’s.
38 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 39
Growth in the St John Ambulance Brigade
was steady. By 1939 the Western Australian
District had 41 divisions with 1072 volunteer
members. Cadet units also commenced, the
fi rst being at Fremantle in 1936.
The Second World War had a great impact on
all branches of St John Ambulance. First Aid
training experienced an enormous increase
and 41,962 certifi cates were issued between
1939 – 1945. Similar growth in the Brigade
saw new divisions registered although some
went into recession as members joined the
armed services. For those remaining, St John
members joined Voluntary Aid Detachments,
the men deployed in Air Raid Patrols and
some women in the Army Medical Service.
In 1940 the organisation moved to Wellington
Street. For the Ambulance Service the
war years and even after meant extreme
hardship with fewer offi cers, petrol rationing,
problems in obtaining vehicles and spare
parts. Growth did continue albeit slowly.
In 1959 almost 12000 patients were
transported by the Ambulance Service.
There were 72 country sub centres.
The 1960s and 1970s saw major changes
in St John’s governance and funding matching
the rapid expansion in the state’s population
and development - more patients transported,
more vehicles, greater mileage, increasing
overheads, increasingly sophisticated
equipment and electronic communications.
Fleets of Dodge and then Ford ambulances
could be found in Perth and throughout
the state. Growth in the number of country
sub centres was steady using volunteer
ambulance offi cers in most of them.
From 1977 – 1980 St John also operated
an aerial service throughout the south west of
the state, alleviating many of the long
road trips to hospital.
Equipping ambulances now became a
specialised branch of medical technology
with ambulance and workshop personnel
working together on evaluation committees
assessing and introducing new equipment.
These included innovations such as the
Easton Bandage System supported by both
ambulance offi cers and St John management.
Extended training of ambulance offi cers saw a
new discipline of paramedic medicine emerge
as certifi cate and diploma courses evolved to
our current full university paramedic degree
course. Comprehensive training modules were
developed for country volunteers.
Management also had to keep pace with this
changing scene and a shift to professional
management developed in the mid 1970s. The
Ambulance Service moved to new premises in
Belmont in 1979, whilst the Brigade remained
at Wellington Street until 2003. St John was
now operating from 116 sub centres around
Western Australia. Consequently it ceased to
be a medical charity and became a non-profi t
organisation combining features of a public
utility, a business corporation and a voluntary
association. Its funding became slightly
more reliable with an ambulance contribution
scheme and government subsidies overtaking
donations and fund raising events.
Whilst the Ambulance Service grew during
the 1980s the Brigade did not. The Brigade’s
strength had peaked in 1961 with a membership
of some 2400 but subsequently declined. Most
volunteer organisations experienced similar
declining numbers at this time refl ecting the
changing life styles of the population. With
reduced numbers many Brigade divisions
combined the previously separate ambulance
and nursing groups. A review of St John
throughout Australia in 1987 resulted in a new
national structure and the Brigade became the
Operations Branch.
A number of events highlighted the 1990s.
A new branch was formed in 1995 called
Community Care, its objective being to
meet the needs of the lonely elderly in the
community. Other developments in pre-hospital
care included the introduction of an industrial
paramedic service and expansion in fi rst aid
training in both numbers taught and initiatives
such as the First Responder system.
In 2009 St John continues its pre-hospital
care service to the community in teaching
fi rst aid and offering fi rst aid services. This is
an essential complement to the ambulance
service, providing a fi rst level of response prior
to the arrival of St John Paramedics.
The Operations Branch was renamed the
Volunteer First Aid Service in 1999/2000 and
continues in providing fi rst aid services at
community, cultural and sporting events.
Their activity is another fi rst level of response
in the event of illness and injury. The old quasi
military structure has been replaced with
professional career administration, divisional
managers and offi cers.
In the twenty fi rst century St John in Western
Australia is a cohesive modern organisation.
The highly trained and well equipped First
Aid Trainers, Ambulance Paramedics,
Volunteer Ambulance Offi cers and Volunteer
First Aiders wear the same coloured green
uniform throughout the state. Ambulances
have changed to a new Mercedes model with
a green design. All administration has been
located in the state centre at Belmont since
2006 and St John Ambulance continues to
pursue its humanitarian vision in new ways
with twenty fi rst century technology across
Western Australia.
Bibliography
Howie-Willis, I, I992. St John, Ambulances,
and Western Australia: a Centenary Anthology
1892-1992, SJAA (WA) Inc. Perth
St John Annual reports 1898-2008, SJAA, Perth
Th e 1960s and 1970s saw major changes in St John’s governance and funding matching th e rapid expansion in th e state’s population and development.
Left to Right: Melville Ambulance Division 1970’s;
Demonstration of a bandage system, June 1976;
Equipment presentation in Morley July 1982; modern
day Ambulance Service.
40 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 41
Knights of Grace
Mr William John Barker CD
Mr Robert Blizard
Mr Desmond Ernest Franklin BEM
Dr Thomas Hamilton AM
Mr Ian Lindsay Kaye-Eddie ASM
Dr Alan Joseph King AM
Mr Gerard Arthur King
His Excellency Dr Ken Michael AC
Wing Cdr (Dr) Harry Frank Oxer ASM
Dr Frank Burdon (Don) Webb AM
Mr Kevin James Young
Dames of Grace
Mrs Billie Annette Andrews ASM
Mrs Ruth Gwendoline Donaldson OAM
Mrs Joan Johnston OAM
Mrs Julie Michael
Mrs Margaret Hamilton Muirhead OAM
Sub-prelate
The Most Reverend Roger Herft
Commanders
Mr Anthony John Ahern ASM
Mrs Pauline Gladys Bates
Miss Margaret Jane Cockman OAM
Dr Kenneth Ernest Collins AM Cit WA
Mrs Betty Gertrude Crandell
Mr John Di Masi
Mr George Charles Ferguson
Mr Len Fiori
Mr Alistair Charles William Forsyth of That Ilk JP
Mr Douglas James Gildersleeve
Mr Brian Kenneth Hampson
Miss Olga Dorothy Hedemann OAM RFD JP
Mrs Merle Isbister ASM
Mr Ronald Neville Jesson
Mr John Charles Jones
Dr Kenneth Ross Littlewood
Mr Bevan Francis McInerney OAM CD
Mr Darren Clive Brooks Mouchemore CD
Mrs Norma Elaine Olsen
Mr Raymond Passmore OAM
Lt Col (Dr) Robert Lyons Pearce AM RFD JP
Mr Ernest Vance Pippard
Mr John Edward Ree
Mrs Ruth Amelia Reid AM Cit WA
Mr John William Roberts
Mrs Carole Schelfhout
Mr George Alexander Shea OBE
Mr John Derek Snowdon OAM
Mr Jeffrey Mark Williams
Mr John Leonard Williams
Mr Peter Stuart Wood JP
Offi cers
Mr James Percival Allan OAM
Mr Kevin John Arnol
Mr Robert Edwin Barker ASM
Mr Lester Johnson Barnes
Mrs Margaret Joan Bell
Mrs Shirley Margaret Birch
Mrs Edna Ethel Brown
Mr Frank Joseph Buytels
Mrs Verity Jane Campbell
Mr Carlo Capriotti
Mr David Anthony Carbonell
Mrs Elizabeth Ann Carpenter
Mrs Virginia Cheriton
Mr Barry Arthur Clements
Mrs Doreen Dorothy Clements
Mr Leslie George Clothier
Mr John Glen Corbin
Mrs Winifred Victoria Corbin
Mr Richard Edward Daniels
Mr Geoffrey Charles Davies ASM
Mr Michael Ronald Divall
Dr Stephen John Dunjey
Mrs Elizabeth Anne Dyer BM OAM
Mr Rex Warner Dyer ASM
Miss Marie Elizabeth (Betty) Dyke
Mr Henry James Eade
Mr Kenneth David Jones Evans
Mr Robert Paske Evans
Mrs Ethel Grace Farley
Mr Kenneth Allan Ford ASM
Madam Ann Forsyth Of That Ilk
Mr Charles Gerschow
Mrs Maria Kay Godwell
Mrs Hazel Eve Goldacre
Mrs Hazel Jean Green
The Rev Peter Harris
Mr Simon Warwick Hughes
Mr Stuart Campbell Hunter
Mr Chester Milton Hutton
Mr Ronald Cedric Jeakes
Mr Leslie William Johnson
Mr Kevin Wallace Jones
Mr Terry Jongen
Mrs Joan Josephine Kerp
Dr Edith Khangure
Mrs Fay Margaret Kite
Mr Brian Peter Landers
Mr Shayne Graham Leslie
Mr Colin Oliver Lock
Dr Richard Simon William Lugg
Mr Alan Felix McAndrew
Mr George Robert McKeown
Mrs Lydia Irene Mills AM
Mr David Edward Broadbent Morgan
Mr Frank Barnett Murray
Mr John David Neale
Mr Arnold Sibald Nunn
Mr Edward John O`Sullivan
Mr Abner Rupert James Paine
Professor John Michael Papadimitriou
Mrs Viola Frances Pentland
Mr David Lawrence Powell
Mr Lionel Jack Richards
Mr Lloyd Richards
Mr Warren James Richards
Miss Lynette Joy Richardson
Mrs Carmel Jean Honorah Sands
Mr Derek William Satterthwaite JP
Miss Margaret Evelyn Savage
Mr Brian James Savory
Mr Charles William Sexton
Mr Allan Keith Shawyer
Mr Brendan John Sinclair
Mr David John Stewart
Mr Thomas Barrie Stewart
Dr Peter James Strickland
Mr Kevin Wayne Swansen
Mr Antony Afric Tanner
Mr Alexander Edward Taylor
Mr Paul Stylianos Vassis
Mrs Alice Joanna Vinicky
Mrs Carol Joyce Wallace
Dr William James Ward
Mr Leslie Wells
Mrs Andrea Marie Williams
Mr George Henry Williams
The Rev Henry Gordon Williams JP
Dr Martin John Williams OAM
Mr Graham Alfred Wilson ASM
Mr Edgar George Winner JP
Mrs Sheryl Lesley Wood
Mrs Barbara May Wright
Members
Ms Emily Adams
Mrs Anne Margaret Adcock
Mr Peter Albert John Ansell
Mr William Richard Archer
Mr Dene Maxwell Ashfi eld
Mr Donald John Atkins
Mrs Aileen Joyce Austin
Mr John Edwin Austin
Mr Walter Clarence Axell
Mr Gregory Robin Baird
Mrs Doris Ball
Mrs Frances Mary Banks
Mr Edward James Barbour
Mr Alexander John Barclay
Mrs Judith Margaret Barker
Mr Colin Peter Barron
Mr Daniel John Barron
Mr Troy Bates
Mr Darryl Wayne Beaton
Mrs Joan Audrey Bedford
Mr Paul James Beech
Mr Alan Alfred Bentley
Mr John Henry Bergin
Mr Keith Billingham
Mr Frank Bert Bloxham
Mrs Venita Merle Bodle OAM
Mr Arnold Bogaers
Mr Keith Douglas Bolitho
Mr Clement Cecil Bowra
Mr James Edwin Boyd
Mr Arthur Benjamin Bransby
Mr Peter Ross Bremner
Mrs Brenda Brindley
Mr Graeme Brockman
Mr Andrew John Brooker
Mrs Gladys Elizabeth Brooks BEM JP
Mr Thomas George Brown
Mrs Valmea Wendy Brown
The Rt Rev Bishop Bernard Buckland
Mrs Dorothy Burgess
Mrs Joan Marion Burn
Mr Philip David Cammiade
Mrs Ester Rae Carter
Mr Kim Stuart Carver
Mrs Ingrid Chrisp
Mrs Linley Cilia
Mr Benjamin Benson Clarke
Mr Neville James Clarke
Mr Robert George Clarke
Mrs Mildred Rose Coad
Mr Barry Thomas Coleman
Mrs Reta Elizabeth Coles
Mr Alan Connell
Mr David Cook
Mr Stanley Victor Cook
Mr Kenneth Cooper
Mrs Kathleen Anne Crofts
Mr Neil Crofts
Mr Wayne Peter Cullen
Dr Stephen Leon Dale
Mr George Laurence Daley
Mrs Joanne Daley
Mr Malcolm Douglas Davies
Mr Damian Davini
Mrs Gloria Chrisma Davini
Mrs Kerry Davis
Mr Lancelot Norman George Davis
Mrs Ivy Edith Day
Mrs Gail Patricia Dennert
Mr Ian Digweed
Mr Oreste Frank Di Scerni
Mr Norman Maxwell Dixon
Mr Steven Douglas
Mr John Patrick Downey
Mrs Elizabeth (Elsa) Drage
Miss Elizabeth Dreger OAM
Mr Robert Kemp Russell Duncan
Mr William George Edwards
Mr Barrie Neil Ellson
Mr John Richard Evans
Mrs Lynette Mae Evans
Mr Donald Reginald Fallon
Mrs Valma Dawn Fallon
Mr Eric Campbell Farrell
Mr Peter Wiltshire Felton
Mr Nelson John Fewster
Mr Michael Victor Fields CD
Dr John Graham Francis
Mrs Barbara Anne Franklin
Mr Donald Frearson
Mrs Doreen Clare Gardiner
Mr James Kelvin Gattera
Mrs Elizabeth Mary Gent
Mr Otto Herman Gerschow
Mr Michael Giovinazzo
Mr Andrew Fraser Goode
Mrs Janet Goodwin
Mr Kelvin Paul Gray
Mr Peter Alan Green JP
Mrs Patricia Ruth Griffi th
Mr Gary Guelfi
Mr Glen Lindsay Hall
Mr Kevin Edwin Hall
Mr Ronald Harold Hall
Mrs Evelyn Rosa Hammer
Mr Douglas Kemble Hancock
Mr Mervyn Desmond Hansen
Mr John Victor Hards
Mrs Pauline June Harris
Mr Robert Harrison
Mrs Patricia Hatch
Mr Raymond Milne Head
Dr Clive Heaysman
Mr John William Hemsley
Mr Desmond Robert Henderson
Mrs Muriel May Henderson
Miss Doreen Grace Higgins
Mr Ewen Gilchrist Hill
Mr Harold Hilton
Mr Christopher Edward Hodgson
Mr Steven Kenneth Hook
Mr Robert George Horton
Mr Patrick Hourigan
Mr Antony George Howe
Mr Clifford Morrison Howe
Mrs Audrey Yvonne Hoyle
Mr Jens Kevin Hudson
Mr Alan John Hughes
Mrs Vicki Raye Humphry
Ms Lynne Elizabeth Hunt
Mrs Marilyn Doris Hunter
Mr Robert Frederick Ingpen
Mr John Colin Jarrett
Ms Anna Patricia Jaskolski
Mr Keith Jenkins
Mr Anthony Francis Jenkinson
Mrs Pamela Joan Jenkinson
Mr David Wayne Johnson
Mrs Ruth Minnie Johnson
Mr Leonard George Johnston
Mr Ian Lionel Jones
Mrs Marlene Ann Jones
Mr Bauke Theodore Jongeling
Mrs Kathleen Kane
Dr Stephen Kargotich
Mrs Valerie June Kelly
Roll of Members of the Order in WA
42 | ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
Mrs Glenys Kendrick
Mr Herbert Douglas Kennedy
Mr Michael Kenneth Kenny
Mr Peter Wesley King
Mr Robert Vaughan Knapp
Mr Peter Cecil Kristiansen
Ms Taryn Lee Kunzli
Mrs Stephanie Lalor
Mr Lloyd Douglas Lansdown
Mr Leslie Henry Laughton
Mr Leonard Allan Leeder
Mrs Mary Patricia Leeson
Mr Kelvin Allen Lemke
Mrs Edna Phyllis Lightbody
Mr Patrick Henry Lyon
Mr Robert Ian Macdonald
Mrs Vicki Lynn Macdonald
Mr Kenneth Sydney MacKenzie
Mrs Susan Mary McCreery
Mrs Joyce McCubbing
Mr James Eric McGlinn
Mr Vince McKenney
Mr Allan Arthur McSwain
Mr Frederick James Major
Mrs Maxine June Martin
Mr Leonard Reginald Martin
Mr Milton William Marwick
Mrs Thirza Irene Marwick
Mrs Jennifer Rose Maughan
Mr Peter Maughan
Mr James Francis May
Mrs Ethel Elizabeth Mayers
Mrs Agnes Maud Metcalf
Mr Ernest Charles Mitchinson
Mr Paul Peter Monger
Mrs Dorothy Faye Morgan OAM
Mr James Leonard Morley JP
Mr Ashley Gerard Morris
Mrs Ilse Mueller
Mrs Margaret Patricia Murdoch
Mr Colin James Murphy
Mr George Ian Murray
Mrs Jillian Ann Neave
Mrs Dianne Leslie Nicholls
Mr Peter Nicholls
Mrs Hilary Jeanne Nind
Dr Ian MacLaren North
Mr Edwin Harold Parry
Mr Lance Murray Paterson
Mr Anthony Colin Pegram
Mr Ross Walter Perry
Mr George Albert Peters
Mr John Piggott
Mr Clarence Richard Plummer
Mrs Patricia Roslyne Pratt
Mr Barry Daniel Price
Dr Richard Frederick Reynolds
Mr Thomas Ernest Richards
Miss Evelyn Faye Ridley
Mr John Riley
Mr Alan Rimmer
Mr Robert John Rimmer
Mrs Mary Bridget Ripper
Mr Austin Gregory Roach CD
Mr Garth Alan Roberts
Mr Geoffery Roberts
Mr Michael James Robertson
Mrs Auriel Jean Rodgers
Mr Kenneth Frank Rowe
Mr George Watson Rudland
Mrs Dulcie June Rule
Mr Christopher Paul Sabourne
Mr Robin Norman Sadler
Mr David James Saunders
Mr Keith Scoullar
Mr Christopher Leonard Searle
Mr Robert Maxwell Simper
Mrs Irene Simpson
Mr Kevin Simpson
Mr Ian Sinclair
Mrs Elaine Smallwood
Mr Graham Smeed
Mr David Smeeton
Mr Allan Smith
Mrs Betty Smith
Mr Graham Leslie Smith
Mr Hector George Smith
Mrs Janet Ellen Smith
Mr Thomas Smith
Mr Leo Edward Spitz
Mr David Stevens
Ms Dorothy Denise Stevenson
Mr John Joseph Stevenson
Mr Arnold Mervyn Stokes
Mr Donald Thomas Stone JP
Mr Errol Dale Stone
Mrs Lorraine Stone
Mrs Mary Strickland
Mr Dirk Christopher Sunley
Mr John Graham Sutherland
Mr John Kinnaird Swan
Mr Walter Swan
Mr Ronald Swansen
Mr Terrence Sweeney
Mrs Bernice Harriet Taylor
Mr Wayne Taylor
Mr George William James Thompson
Mr Francis Edwin Thornton
Mr Maurice Tomlin
Miss Judith Pamela Tyler
Mrs Pamela Margaret Usher
Mr Hans Vandenberg
Dr John van der Post
Mrs Pauline Anne Veraart
Mrs Kathleen Patricia Wake
Mrs Leonie Walker
Mrs Maxine Janice Walker
Mr Richard Charles Walker
Dr Allan Stephen Walley
Mr Robert Edward Wallis CD
Mr Donald Godfrey Walter
Mr James Neil Warne
Mrs Edna Beryl Watterson
Mr Terence Harold Watts
Ms Gabrielle West
Mr Kent Ruthen Westlake
Mrs Lorna Whiteman
Dr Garry John Wilkes
Mr Raymond Albert Wilkins
Mr Graham Trevor Wilkinson
Mr Roy Edward Wilkinson
Mrs Jennifer Margaret Willgoss
Miss Christine Williams
Mrs Shirley Elizabeth Williams JP
Ms Renee Wirth
Mr Philip Joseph Wishart
Mrs Fay Margaret Wolfenden
Mr Kevin Wood
Mr James Alan Wright
Mr Maurice John Yates
Promoted to Knight
Mr Desmond Ernest Franklin BEM
Promoted to Commander
Mr Anthony John Ahern ASM
Mrs Merle Isbister ASM
Mr John Charles Jones
Mr Raymond Passmore
Promoted to Offi cer
Mrs Andrea Marie Williams
Admission as Member
Ms Emily Adams
Mr Colin Peter Barron
Mr Paul Beech
Mr Arnold Bogaers
Mr Kim Carver
Mr Robert Clarke
Mr Neil Crofts
Mr Steven Douglas
Mrs Janet Goodwin
Mr Desmond Henderson
Mr Ronald Knapp
Mrs Hilary Nind
Mrs Christine Nye
Mr David Ovans
Mrs Marilyn Whiteside
Commandery Commendation
John Clague
Teresa Cousins
Harold Field
Howard Martin
Carol Murray
Robert O’Bryan
Christopher Solosy
Robyn Olivia Thompson
Kim Whyte
David Wright
50 Years Membership/Service
Mr Kevin Arnol OStJ
Mr John Ree CStJ
Ms Lynette Richardson OStJ
Mr Neil Warne MStJ
Obituary
2009
We report with the deepest regret the death of
the following members in the Order:
Henry Emanuel MORGAN OStJ
Ronald Oswald NEUMANN MStJ
Isabel Millicent CHINERY OStJ
Peter Hartley MORTON MStJ
Cecil William PLATELL OStJ
Valda FINLEY OAM, OStJ
Dr Arthur BURKITT OStJ
Winifred Stella FRUSHER OAM, OStJ
Anthony William DORLING MStJ
Enid LAVRICK MStJ
Lawrence John ELSEGOOD OStJ
Promotions, Admissions and Commendations
Great care has been taken in compiling
of the foregoing nominal role of members
of the Order. It is possible, however, that
mistakes have occurred.
The Registrar appeals to all members to
notify him immediately of any errors or
omissions they may detect.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09 | 43
ST JOHN AMBULANCE | ANNUAL REPORT 2008/09
209 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont, Western Australia 6104
Email: [email protected]
www.stjohnambulance.com.au