By Pam Kiriakidis
Recognised for community action, Mernda paramedic Brett Drummond was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal as part of this year’s Australia Day honours list.
The Ambulance Service Medal recognises members of the Australian ambulance services for distinguished service.
Mr Drummond was awarded for his efforts in the emergency management unit, where he currently holds a management position.
Ambulance Victoria’s emergency management unit has assisted with some of Victoria’s major emergencies, including the asthma thunderstorms in 2016 and the first Bourke Street emergency.
“My job in these [emergencies] has been making sure we’re getting the right resources and care to the scenes, and trying to make sure what we’re doing for these major emergencies still allows us to respond to the other triple zero calls we get,” he said.
“I worked with a colleague [during the asthma thunderstorms], and we went through in really high detail all the things that Ambulance Victoria did, how we managed patients, the sort of cases and numbers of cases we went, [and] how we worked with other agencies.”
Mr Drummond’s work with Ambulance Victoria began in 2003 when his wife encouraged him to apply for a paramedic position due to his background in youth work.
For the next 20 years Mr Drummond served front-line roles in Ambulance Victoria, stationed at Epping, South Morang, and Kinglake.
He was also previously stationed at the Thomastown branch which helped respond to the Black Saturday bushfires.
Mr Drummond said during his senior team manager position at Epping, he helped establish the Kinglake branch – initially a portable facility located near the town’s footy oval.
“Part of my role at the time was getting the branch established, and working with Kinglake CERT, the volunteers that work as AV first responders in communities to support the community,” he said.
However Mr Drummond’s passion for community care is not only evident at Ambulance Victoria.
Outside of his work, Mr Drummond was also president of Plenty Valley Community Health when he was at Epping.
“Our service [Plenty Valley Community Health] worked with the residents of Kinglake as part of the bushfires case management service, supporting the fire-affected community. It was a pretty intense time, and one that really stuck with me,” he said.
Mr Drummond was also a volunteer with the State Emergency Service for 10 years, where he was unit controller at Broadmeadows.
“I’ve always been part of organisations that are about serving the community, and becoming a paramedic was a really natural extension to that,” he said.
Mr Drummond said he felt he always had a ‘knack’ for community action, which has allowed him to bond with patients, as well as learn valuable skills.
“Two of the most important I’ve found are being able to recognise when you need to look after yourself, and also being reflective of the way I’ve worked,” he said.
“The cases I’ve always loved are the ones where you connect with a patient, like having a laugh at a joke with them, or getting to hear some of their life stories.
“While it’s nice to be recognised in this way, I feel like all I’ve done really is do my best to make sure the community is well cared for in what I do.”
