Great public response to St John medical unit in Collingwood
The Collingwood community has shown strong support for the establishment of a volunteer St John First Response Unit at Collingwood.
At a public meeting, held in Collingwood on 27 October, around 20 members of the community, interest groups and the New Zealand Fire Service met with St John staff at the Collingwood Fire Station to hear a proposal by St John.
District operations manager for Nelson Marlborough, Barry Howell, told the audience that this would be a partnership between St John, the community and the Fire Service.
“It will only proceed if the public support the idea both operationally and financially.”
Mr Howell said that while the Fire Service responded to medical calls in Collingwood as part of a national agreement, the St John First Response Unit would enhance that by providing a dedicated vehicle with ambulance service communications equipment and medical equipment on board. Similar models exist in Akaroa, Okiwi Bay and Tapawera.
“If required, the vehicle can also transport patients. It will not replace the role of the Fire Service, just support it with more specialised training and equipment.” The Fire Service would also respond to support the St John First Responder Unit to, for example, set up air ambulance landing sites.
The audience asked questions about funding, the commitment to the volunteers, the equipment and other services operated by St John.
Area committee chair Stu Chalmers and committee member Neville Rogers spoke about St John services in Golden Bay and how St John planned to base itself near the new proposed Integrated Health Centre at Golden Bay Community Hospital. Community fundraising will be needed for this project, as well as for the First Response Unit.
Around 10 volunteers will be needed to get the First Response Unit up and running. All training would be delivered in Collingwood or Takaka. The next stage is for St John and the Fire Service to meet and work out a final proposal on how the unit would work and present that back to the community.
St John would like to hear from people interested in becoming a St John First Response Unit volunteer in Collingwood. Please contact: Lindsay McCaw, rural support officer, at 027 471 1552, or email Barry Howell at <barry.howell@stjohn.org.nz>.
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