Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know that Saint John were indeed pretty busy over
the course of the weekend. And joining me on the
line is the director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas. Good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Andrew Hambury, Good morning to you, Kadan.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Andrew. Busy weekend. I guess it's always pretty busy, isn't
it for Territory Day.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah. Always we get a few extra jobs that come
through on Territory Day, and obviously this year, being on
a Saturday night, you know, flowed into what is probably
our normal busy work on a Saturday night as well.
So really great amazing work done by our crews that
were working and also the volunteers and paramedics that were
out at the community events providing that first aid and
(00:41):
covering that emergency treatment for people that called the ambulance
on Saturday night. Did you have to.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Put on extra cruise, Andrew?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So we had our normal crewing, but obviously we went
for these sort of nights, and you know, other sort
of bigger nights such as New Year's Eve and some
of the other sort of events. We quite often put
in plans to be able to upscale if we need
to regarding surges of activity. But you know, we had
our normal crewing across the Northern Territory and all locations,
(01:12):
and as I said, we had an extra crew in
Darwin down at the Middle Beach events along with our
cabulous volunteers that were down there that we're keeping the
community safe at that big event down there.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Now, tell us in terms of the volume of Triple
zero calls from Darwin and Palmerston regions, how many or
did Saint John get an increased number?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So Saturday night was probably in terms of call volume
is probably around about a normal night for us. So
though we did receive a number of calls that related
to firework injuries, a number of them were people calling
up and receiving some advice over the phone and then
a number of cases that we responded to and in
(01:57):
the end across Darwin and Parmis and region we transported
a total of six people through the hospital with sort
of varying levels of injury from minor burns and you know,
some injuries to the face too, you know, the serious
case out of Virginia.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah, talk us through what has been you know, we
know that it's been reported that there was that major
incident with two people injured twenty three year old and
a man in their fifties as well.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, that's right, a bit after, you know, sort of
eight point thirty, just before nine, you know, our crews
responded out there to advise that a bit of a
massive mishap with some of the fireworks there, and you know,
and our cruise got there. They've found that the young
gentleman had a traumatic amputation of his arm. So our
(02:49):
cruise did a really great job in terms of treating
him there and providing him appropriate treatment and pain relief.
They managed to package up the limb as well, and
they trans ordered him urgently through to the Royal Darwin
Hospital for you know, the staff there to do what
they could just to try and you know, work to
get his arm put back on. So I haven't had
(03:11):
a follow up on how he is at the moment,
but obviously we wish him the best.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Goodness me, that sounds incredibly traumatic. Have you, like, in
your years with Saint John's, have you seen a situation
where somebody has had a limb severed as a result
of fireworks? No?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I mean we've been fortunate in the years that I've
been up here, and from my understanding, is you know,
we traditionally have seen a number of them. We have
seen some injuries where particularly just people with having injuries
to their hands and to their fingers, particularly from fireworks,
and also we've had you know, last year we had
someone that had a large firework go off in their face.
(03:52):
So you know, we are seeing unfortunately occasionally those more
serious injuries. But you know, all things probably considered and
given the amount of fireworks that were led off over
the over the Saturday night, you know, I think, you know,
the majority of people were out there and doing it
in a responsible way and enjoying themselves. And you know,
(04:14):
as I said, we only ended up transporting six through
to hospital. There were another obviously, I believe, you know,
into Health had some people self presenting, but you know,
all in all, not too many, and obviously I think
everyone's enjoyed the day and celebrations.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, this is it the majority. You know, I do
really do things pretty safely. Just again, just to go
back to that incident in Virginia, do we know the
status of the fifty eight year.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Old so mind was saying, is that again he copped
a bit of an injury to the GT's leg and
growing area there, so he actually presented through the hospital
and Agains had believe some surgery and of belief is
in a in a stable condition, but not not sure
if any further details.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Sorry, just coughing there in the background. It does sound
as though, like you said, the large majority did the
right thing and were pretty responsible. So by and large,
would you say, you know, like, how would you write
things going andrew on on Saturday night?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, So look, you know, I think while there was
a couple of unfortunate instants, and I think, you know,
nobody goes out of their way to you know, deliberately
cause harm to themselves. So I think, you know, unfortunately
there there has been a couple of minor instances, but
all things being you know, we didn't see any callouts
across you know, other parts of the territory. It was
(05:37):
only in the Darwin region and Parmestan regions that we
actually had those callouts where we responded to emil And
so I think, you know, all and all people acted responsibly,
which is that, you know, following the safety messages that
we've been putting out in the days prior to territory day.
So and you know that's the aim of it is
people to have a good time, celebrate and do it safely.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Yeah spot on. Well, a big thank you to everybody
at Saint John's for their efforts over the weekend, particularly
those crews that were out and about trying to help
people that had been injured, but also to all of
those volunteers because you know, simply push. If those volunteers
weren't there and weren't helping out at various different events,
they just wouldn't be able to happen.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah. Look, I think the volunteers and the crews that
were down at Mindle Beach, I believe they saw around
about you know, ten or twelve people that down there
that came up and saw them for various first aid
sort of requirements down there, and amazing effort by the
volunteers across the territory. And not only for our volunteers,
(06:42):
but for the rest of the emergency services and the
fires and bush fires, for the work that everyone does
on those nights to keep the community safe.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, spot on. Well. Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas,
good to speak with you this morning. Thank you so
much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
No prom Katie have right now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You two thank you
You know that Saint John were indeed pretty busy over
the course of the weekend. And joining me on the
line is the director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas. Good
morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Andrew Hambury, Good morning to you, Kadan.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Andrew. Busy weekend. I guess it's always pretty busy, isn't
it for Territory Day.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah. Always we get a few extra jobs that come
through on Territory Day, and obviously this year, being on
a Saturday night, you know, flowed into what is probably
our normal busy work on a Saturday night as well.
So really great amazing work done by our crews that
were working and also the volunteers and paramedics that were
out at the community events providing that first aid and
(00:41):
covering that emergency treatment for people that called the ambulance
on Saturday night. Did you have to.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Put on extra cruise, Andrew?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So we had our normal crewing, but obviously we went
for these sort of nights, and you know, other sort
of bigger nights such as New Year's Eve and some
of the other sort of events. We quite often put
in plans to be able to upscale if we need
to regarding surges of activity. But you know, we had
our normal crewing across the Northern Territory and all locations,
(01:12):
and as I said, we had an extra crew in
Darwin down at the Middle Beach events along with our
cabulous volunteers that were down there that we're keeping the
community safe at that big event down there.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Now, tell us in terms of the volume of Triple
zero calls from Darwin and Palmerston regions, how many or
did Saint John get an increased number?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So Saturday night was probably in terms of call volume
is probably around about a normal night for us. So
though we did receive a number of calls that related
to firework injuries, a number of them were people calling
up and receiving some advice over the phone and then
a number of cases that we responded to and in
(01:57):
the end across Darwin and Parmis and region we transported
a total of six people through the hospital with sort
of varying levels of injury from minor burns and you know,
some injuries to the face too, you know, the serious
case out of Virginia.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah, talk us through what has been you know, we
know that it's been reported that there was that major
incident with two people injured twenty three year old and
a man in their fifties as well.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, that's right, a bit after, you know, sort of
eight point thirty, just before nine, you know, our crews
responded out there to advise that a bit of a
massive mishap with some of the fireworks there, and you know,
and our cruise got there. They've found that the young
gentleman had a traumatic amputation of his arm. So our
(02:49):
cruise did a really great job in terms of treating
him there and providing him appropriate treatment and pain relief.
They managed to package up the limb as well, and
they trans ordered him urgently through to the Royal Darwin
Hospital for you know, the staff there to do what
they could just to try and you know, work to
get his arm put back on. So I haven't had
(03:11):
a follow up on how he is at the moment,
but obviously we wish him the best.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Goodness me, that sounds incredibly traumatic. Have you, like, in
your years with Saint John's, have you seen a situation
where somebody has had a limb severed as a result
of fireworks? No?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I mean we've been fortunate in the years that I've
been up here, and from my understanding, is you know,
we traditionally have seen a number of them. We have
seen some injuries where particularly just people with having injuries
to their hands and to their fingers, particularly from fireworks,
and also we've had you know, last year we had
someone that had a large firework go off in their face.
(03:52):
So you know, we are seeing unfortunately occasionally those more
serious injuries. But you know, all things probably considered and
given the amount of fireworks that were led off over
the over the Saturday night, you know, I think, you know,
the majority of people were out there and doing it
in a responsible way and enjoying themselves. And you know,
(04:14):
as I said, we only ended up transporting six through
to hospital. There were another obviously, I believe, you know,
into Health had some people self presenting, but you know,
all in all, not too many, and obviously I think
everyone's enjoyed the day and celebrations.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, this is it the majority. You know, I do
really do things pretty safely. Just again, just to go
back to that incident in Virginia, do we know the
status of the fifty eight year.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Old so mind was saying, is that again he copped
a bit of an injury to the GT's leg and
growing area there, so he actually presented through the hospital
and Agains had believe some surgery and of belief is
in a in a stable condition, but not not sure
if any further details.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Sorry, just coughing there in the background. It does sound
as though, like you said, the large majority did the
right thing and were pretty responsible. So by and large,
would you say, you know, like, how would you write
things going andrew on on Saturday night?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, So look, you know, I think while there was
a couple of unfortunate instants, and I think, you know,
nobody goes out of their way to you know, deliberately
cause harm to themselves. So I think, you know, unfortunately
there there has been a couple of minor instances, but
all things being you know, we didn't see any callouts
across you know, other parts of the territory. It was
(05:37):
only in the Darwin region and Parmestan regions that we
actually had those callouts where we responded to emil And
so I think, you know, all and all people acted responsibly,
which is that, you know, following the safety messages that
we've been putting out in the days prior to territory day.
So and you know that's the aim of it is
people to have a good time, celebrate and do it safely.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Yeah spot on. Well, a big thank you to everybody
at Saint John's for their efforts over the weekend, particularly
those crews that were out and about trying to help
people that had been injured, but also to all of
those volunteers because you know, simply push. If those volunteers
weren't there and weren't helping out at various different events,
they just wouldn't be able to happen.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah. Look, I think the volunteers and the crews that
were down at Mindle Beach, I believe they saw around
about you know, ten or twelve people that down there
that came up and saw them for various first aid
sort of requirements down there, and amazing effort by the
volunteers across the territory. And not only for our volunteers,
(06:42):
but for the rest of the emergency services and the
fires and bush fires, for the work that everyone does
on those nights to keep the community safe.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, spot on. Well. Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas,
good to speak with you this morning. Thank you so
much for your time today.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
No prom Katie have right now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You two thank you
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