# Down Under - Australia



## AusMed (Jan 18, 2009)

Anyone on here from the land of Oz?


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## shannon williams (Jan 18, 2009)

no, although it would be interesting to hear about how you do things there, as far as who is in the ambulance, do you use volunteers?


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## AusMed (Jan 18, 2009)

Ok Shannon, here we go......
To start with I will refer to the service I work for - Ambulance Service of New South Wales (ASNSW), which is a Government run service.
"We service a population of over 6.7 million people in NSW, distributed across an area of 801,600 square kilometres. Ambulance provided over 1,118,000 total responses (both emergency and non-emergency) in 2007/08" (as per our website).
We have a couple of thousand paid operational staff members that make up our response base. There are also over 100 volunteer Honorary Ambulance Officers in remote locations.
In most areas cars, are staffed by 2 fully paid staff members.

Entry into the Service is currently via two pathways.
1) Complete the Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic) degree at university over three years and then apply to gain employment with the Service. After working on road for roughly 6 months you then become a qualified Paramedic.
2) Apply for a position and be trained 'in-house' by the Service. After the initial 8 week training course, you go on road and work with clinical mentors for the next 12 months. Come back to the school and do some more training followed by another 2 years on road. Then come back for another 3 weeks training and become a Qualified Paramedic (this is the path I am currently undertaking).
Following 3 years as a Paramedic, you can apply to get onto an Intensive Care Paramedic course (very competitive) and if successfully completed, then become an ICP.

We have a range of vehicles all around the state. Frontline vehicles are mainly Merc Sprinters, with a few VW transporters. We also have Rapid Response units using Subaru Forresters. On top of this we have a few motorcycles in the Sydney metro area. Also have Rescue trucks, 4wds, Multi-purpose vehicles (can be used for overwieght people, transport critical patient and team of doctors/equip), and a fleet of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. All up over 1000 vehicles in service.

For now I will leave you to soak in this information. More to come later (if you want).

ASNSW website - ASNSW


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## firecoins (Jan 18, 2009)

There is someone on from NZ.


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## Wee-EMT (Jan 18, 2009)

Not from Australia, but would love to work down there. We have the same scope of practice. I have some class mates looking to work there for a couple months.


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## AusMed (Jan 18, 2009)

The chances of your classmates being able to work for a 'couple of months' in one of the Services in Aus is slim to nil. Most of the Services have an extensive recruitment prosess and even with prior training, you will still need to go through all the hoops needed to go out on road. I did my initial training with guys from the UK and one from the US, all were very experienced Paramedcs from their home land but all had to jump through the hoops to get on road. There are the local policies/procedures etc to be learnt and probalby wouldn't be worth it for your mates and the Service for it to be for only a 'couple of months work'.
Don't mean to burst the bubble of your mates.


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## mycrofft (Jan 19, 2009)

*Cold you talk your folks into buying some AMERICAN vehicles please?*

Kidding.
Welcome aboard.


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

From some of the pics I have seen of the AMERICAN vehicles you drive around it, they are massive! (compared to what ours look like). It's hard enough trying to reverse the cars we have now into some of the bays at nursing homes, let alone with a big pod on the back.


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## Explorer127 (Jan 19, 2009)

I've been to New zealand and to australia, and I've only seen the van-ambulances. Do you guys have the box ambulances?


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

My service uses the van, Sprinter.








Some services use the box to a small extent still (mainly Queensland I think).


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

A few more pics of our fleet for you all to have a gander at......

Rapid Responder vehicle - Single officer response unit. Can be dispatched to scenes quicker then frontline cars and give reports. They generally have Intensive Care Paramedics in them and can be a quick way of getting high clinical back-up.


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

Another single officer response......
Motorbikes. Again they are generally ICP level. Used only in the Sydney metro area to get quickly through traffic.


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

Next up, our aerial team...

Fixed wing plane capable of one or two patients.






And one of our new helicopters.


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## downunderwunda (Jan 19, 2009)

I am from downunder. Where in NSW r u from?


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## AusMed (Jan 19, 2009)

Currently Sydney Nth during probie year.
And you my fellow Aussie?

BTW, great username.


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## Wee-EMT (Jan 19, 2009)

AusMed said:


> The chances of your classmates being able to work for a 'couple of months' in one of the Services in Aus is slim to nil. Most of the Services have an extensive recruitment prosess and even with prior training, you will still need to go through all the hoops needed to go out on road. I did my initial training with guys from the UK and one from the US, all were very experienced Paramedcs from their home land but all had to jump through the hoops to get on road. There are the local policies/procedures etc to be learnt and probalby wouldn't be worth it for your mates and the Service for it to be for only a 'couple of months work'.
> Don't mean to burst the bubble of your mates.



No worries. I've looked into myself and thats pretty much what everyone has told me. If I ever go down to Aus, it's for the beautiful beaches!


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## downunderwunda (Jan 20, 2009)

I am rural probie.


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## downunderwunda (Jan 20, 2009)

Wee-EMT said:


> No worries. I've looked into myself and thats pretty much what everyone has told me. If I ever go down to Aus, it's for the beautiful beaches!




Just the beaches????


What about the babes?


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## AusMed (Jan 20, 2009)

Yes I certainly enjoy driving along the beaches with such easy on the eye scenery (but gotta make sure the sunnies are on so they can't see you)


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## OzAmbo (Feb 9, 2009)

Another aussie here, from Vic.


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## AusMed (Feb 9, 2009)

Welcome, I hope all is ok where you are from (in relation to the fires).


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## wehttam (Feb 9, 2009)

hint hint hint the length of training is very impressive


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## OzAmbo (Feb 10, 2009)

Yeah Aus, as far as ambulance goes it's had very little impact on our workload, though i believe air ambulance got hammered on sunday moring flying in and out of marysville and king lake..


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## OzAmbo (Feb 10, 2009)

wehttam said:


> hint hint hint the length of training is very impressive



Sorry, who is this directed at, AusMed?


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## enjoynz (Feb 11, 2009)

OzAmbo said:


> Yeah Aus, as far as ambulance goes it's had very little impact on our workload, though i believe air ambulance got hammered on sunday moring flying in and out of marysville and king lake..



Hope that things settle down soon for your area, Ambo!

I have a some cousins living in the areas around Melbourne, still waiting to here how a couple of them are. from their sister back here in NZ.
I know one of them lost all her chickens to the heat (over 50 degrees) and that was before the fires started.
So guess the Ambulance services there would have had to deal with quite a few heat related calls, over the past weeks as well?

Cheers Enjoynz


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## CanuckAussie (Feb 14, 2009)

*Down under...*

Hey. I am a Canadian medic who has relocated to Australia, and would be happy to answer any questions about the clinical practice down here.

I do agree with the previous poster who cautioned medics wishing to come down to work for short terms. It simply will not happen.

I look forward to meeting you all in the forum


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## AusMed (Feb 15, 2009)

Canuck,
Are you working with a Service? Which one?


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## CanuckAussie (Feb 15, 2009)

I work for the QAS, Brisbane region. 

All in all a very good service to work for, and though I think they need to make some changes, I am quite happy in my new home.


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## Melclin (Apr 11, 2009)

Another Aussie here. A gurkin from Victoria. I am so tempted to move to NSW when I finish my degree... purely for the motorcycle MICA positions. LOL. Dont much care for the paint work on you vans though ;-)

By the way we still use some of the old 'Box' Ambulances for the Community Emergency Response Teams and as backups.


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## AusMed (Jun 4, 2009)

*Next training level complete*

Quick update from me. I've been off the internet for a month or so with my head in the books, completing my next level of training.
I am now officially a Paramedic Intern and no longer a probie. Woo-hoo!
I am still not deemed to be a fully qualified Paramedic, but no longer require another officer to be with me at time of pt care, which means I am now responsible for my own treatment decisions. It also means that I could have a probie working with me.......:wacko:
I have been posted to a different part of Sydney then where I did my probation year at so time to learn a new part of the sity and deal with a new type of people.....h34r:

Hope everyone is behaving.


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## EMSborn2save (Jun 4, 2009)

*US paramedic in hopes of transition*

I am a paramedic with an Associates Degree in Emergency Medical Services. I have been working for a very aggressive EMS service in Florida (US) for the past 4 years. I am wanting to move to AU, preferably to Sydney, and work as a medic there for the next year or so. What steps do I need to take to become a medic in AU? Do I have to redo all of my schooling?

Thanks, Ashley


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## goidf (Jun 5, 2009)

*Rabbi in Aussi EMS*

Hay, I heard that there is a real full bearded black hat wearing rabbi in EMS in Sydney, anyone heard of him?


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## Melbourne MICA (Jun 6, 2009)

*Melbourne MICA*

Just a quick hello to all you pretenders from NSW. Melbourne MICA is where its at - That is unless our management (and government) doesn't put us all into an early grave first.

MM

PS Meclin buddy - what's all this about moving to Sydney for the bikes? Nothing better than ICP *teams* for best pt care and for your sanity!


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 7, 2009)

Hey guys, Do you know if Oz or UK accept NREMT-P reciprocity?

reguards,- Mike


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## High Speed Chaser (Jun 10, 2009)

http://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/employment/paramedic_recruitment/uk_applicants.html

I guess your best bet is to e-mail NSW ambulance service. 

I would never ride those motorcycles.


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## downunderwunda (Jun 10, 2009)

schulz said:


> Hey guys, Do you know if Oz or UK accept NREMT-P reciprocity?
> 
> reguards,- Mike



Each case is a individul basis. They will not ofer the same reciprocy to the US medics as English because of the training. Is a person with NREMT-P as qualified as someon with a number of years experience & similar paper qualifications? We dont need medic mill morons thanks


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## Melclin (Jun 11, 2009)

Melbourne MICA said:


> Just a quick hello to all you pretenders from NSW. Melbourne MICA is where its at - That is unless our management (and government) doesn't put us all into an early grave first.
> 
> MM
> 
> PS Meclin buddy - what's all this about moving to Sydney for the bikes? Nothing better than ICP *teams* for best pt care and for your sanity!



Yeah....but...bikes. I think that's worth the sacrifice of integrity, dignity and sanity that would obviously come from moving to NSW. 

(pssst... you have become an SRU to take em down from the inside, then ride away triumphant into the sunset on one of those bloody huge BMWs.. my plan is fool proof)


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## Jinx (Jun 15, 2009)

Hey all. Noob here, just moved from melb to nsw to study and I hate it up here, can't wait to move back to Melbourne! Anyway been lurking a while so figured I'd say g'day.


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## enjoynz (Jun 15, 2009)

Jinx said:


> Hey all. Noob here, just moved from melb to nsw to study and I hate it up here, can't wait to move back to Melbourne! Anyway been lurking a while so figured I'd say g'day.



Welcome to the site from your Kiwi EMS Cousin!

Cheers Enjoynz


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## Jinx (Jul 27, 2009)

Hey for any Aussies interested and use Twitter I just found Ambulance Victoria tweet current news about interesting jobs and other news to do with the organisation. 

http://twitter.com/AmbulanceVic

cheers,

Jinx


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