Politician to paramedic, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall spent the day on the front line with the Inverell ambulance team on Friday.
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Mr Marshall said the day provided an opportunity to improve his understanding of what paramedics do, to better represent their needs in parliament.
“I want to experience what it’s like for these men and women everyday on the front line, working very hard in our communities and responding to all sorts of emergency situations,” Mr Marshall said.
Paramedics deal with a range of issues that often go beyond the call of duty.
“Dealing with people under the influence of drugs, working in some very risky situations where sometimes ambulance officers attend a call out and they have no idea what they’re dealing with when they walk through that door into someones home,” Mr Marshall said.
“I want to get a better understanding of what they go through.”
I want to get a better understanding of what they go through.
- - Adam Marshall
Inverell ambulance paramedic Clint McSpedden commended Mr Marshall for spending the day in the drivers seat and hopes that his initiative will raise the bar for other politicians.
“Many politicians get a very sanitised view of the ambulance service,” Mr McSpedden said.
“It’s great that he’s come down… in the car with us today to have a look at our day-to-day functions.
“We commend Adam and we encourage other MPs to do the same.
“Hopefully he’ll get a greater insight to improve his understanding of what we go through.”
Ambulance officers can often work in very unpredictable and unstable environments that can take a toll both physically and mentally, Mr McSpedden said.
“We deal will a range of situations every day.
“It’s not just in the physical environment but there is also sometimes mental trauma too.
“At times we can be assisting to Ashford, up to the Queensland border… because resources are low sometimes we have to travel great distances,” Mr McSpedden said.
Mr Marshall is also hoping to spend time with other emergency services across the region in a bid to gain a greater understanding of their role within the community.
“Hopefully it will improve my ability to best represent their concerns now and into the future,” Mr Marshall said.