There is a difference. We are volunteers. Are they not full time paramedics in New Zealand?
St John has at heart a flawed ethos of volunteerisim and a multifaceted approach to activities which detract from the professional development of Paramedicine in New Zealand.
Many people I know would gladly leave St John for an "ambulance only" orginisation, although St John brand ambulance services as it's "core" activity, it is treated like a second class citizen and another "product" to be sold in the interests of making money.
Paid ambulance officers (at all levels) here carry around 80% of the workload but are only 25-30% of frontline staff. They are expected to work alone if a partner is not avaliable and although this is a complex issue it shows that the Johnnos are still promoting volunteers as a reasonable alterative to a full time, paid partner who will generally be at a higher skill level than a volunteer.
Although many people within St John have a very real zeal for what they do and are very good at it; the support systems and top heavy, fractionised and disconnected management structure means it's like following alice down the rabbit hole.