The officers are:  Daniel Micallef station officer, Col Crossman, Justin Payne, Jon Drake and Georgia Melville. All officers at Walcha are fully qualified paramedics with the experience and training to assist in many medical and traumatic emergencies.

These emergencies are not limited to accidents, but include any other medical problem such as: falls, chest pain, infections, strokes, abdominal pains, breathing difficulties, diabetic problems and mental health problems along with many other problems that the community face.

When you require an ambulance you must call 000. This is a free Australia wide call from any phone. Give good directions and the patient’s current problem to the call taker answering the questions that they ask as accurately as possible they will also assist you over the phone while you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

In rural areas people often do not utilise the Ambulance service enough, it is important that the community understands the ambulance service is available to all problems of a medical nature at any time.

I often speak to people in the community who say that they did not want to bother us as it was not enough of an emergency. This includes incidents such as; chest pain, fainting (which may lead to bigger complications such as stroke and should not be ignored), and falls from heights including off horses.

Any large fall or impact that causes any form of decreased consciousness or neck pain can be a very serious problem and immediate medical attention is required firstly through the initial calling of an ambulance.

The community must not concern themselves with is it important enough but call more frequently so that medical assistance can be given in a timely and appropriate manner.

In my next article I will speak of more specific emergencies where an ambulance should be immediately called.