Ambulance Service Medal recipients congratulated

13 Mar 2007

Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV) Operational personnel who received the Australian Ambulance Service Medal on Australia Day have been congratulated by the RAV Board.

Chairman of the Board Leigh Hocking lauded Geoff Harvey, Assistant Manager - Community & Volunteer Development, and Colin Horwell, Peer Support Coordinator, for their efforts at a recent Board Meeting.

Mr Harvey, a Bendigo resident who began with the ambulance service in 1981, was the first paramedic to undergo MICA (Mobile Intensive Care) training in North Western Victoria and subsequently played an integral role in establishing the MICA system in this part of the state.

Mr Harvey has also worked tirelessly with rural communities to develop the innovative community first responder program. The program comprises 450 volunteers in 22 locations across rural Victoria, providing emergency care prior to ambulance arrival as part of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

Mr Horwell, a Ballarat resident who has been a paramedic with ambulance for 28 years, has played an instrumental role in the development of ambulance peer support and crisis counselling services throughout rural Victoria since June 2000.

His leadership, mentoring and coaching have been a vital part of the peer support network that has allowed the program to grow and continue to recruit peer support staff across RAV. This ensures staff in both operational and support roles have immediate access to confidential counselling and support services after a crisis or critical incident.

Both Mr Harvey and Mr Horwell are currently based at Rural Ambulance Victoria’s Ballarat Head Office.

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