Romsey-Lancefield and District Ambulance Auxiliary, a group that fundraises for the area’s ambulances, was able to invest in life-saving equipment thanks to community contributions.
Members of the auxiliary gathered with the Community Bendigo Bank Branch and Romsey Probus Club at their station to reveal their new equipment at an afternoon tea earlier this month.
For the past nine years, the Bendigo Bank branch has supported multiple emergency services in the district, including the auxiliary with a $1000 grant each year.
The Probus club pledged its support with a donation of more than $350 for the auxiliary to secure a Corpuls monitor, which treats heart-related issues during an emergency.
Romsey-Lancefield and District Ambulance treasurer Beryl Cole said the new equipment enabled paramedics to treat patients for heart attacks when travelling on the road.
“If your heart had stopped again on the way to the hospital, normally they would have to pull over and stop the ambulance … but this machine can do compressions while you’re travelling,” she said.
Ms Cole said Romsey was now entitled to two ambulances, with a station that is fully manned.
She said the service had improved since she first joined the auxiliary 20 years, when they fought for an ambulance for the area and vital equipment.
“We were an auxiliary before we had an ambulance station, we lobbied the government hard to get an ambulance station here in Romsey,” she said.
“There was a well-attended public meeting late 1997 to ask the public if they wanted an ambulance station in Romsey. At this meeting people volunteered to form an auxiliary to lobby the government for an ambulance station.
“After much perseverance it was agreed Romsey-Lancefield qualified for a station, and we got the first vehicle before the station was built.”
She said the group was open to more members and support was still needed.
“We’re a small group, we would love more people to join us, and our purpose is to fundraise to buy extra equipment for ambulances,” Ms Cole said.
For more information on Romsey-Lancefield and District Ambulance, people can contact president Wendy Gosden on 0411 493 544.