Ambulance services of Victoria

Emergency ambulance services in Victoria are provided by three organisations: the Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS), Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV), and the Alexandra District Ambulance Service (ADAS) and are collectively referred to as “Ambulance Service Victoria”

However the Victorian State Government has recently announced that all three services will be merged into a single entity named "Ambulance Victoria" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/state-ambulance-services-to-merge/2008/04/22/1208742941520.html, retrieved 26 April 2008]

The MAS is responsible for Melbourne and its outer suburbs while RAV is responsible for regional and rural areas of Victoria, except for the Alexandra, Marysville, and Eildon areas, which are serviced by ADAS [http://www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/Directory/S2_Item.asp?Mkey=15&S3Key=26] .

St John Ambulance Australia (SJAA), Victoria, does not provide emergency patient transport services in Victoria. SJAA provides first aid at community and sporting events and occasionally disasters across Victoria [http://www.sjaa.com.au/com-about.asp] .

All services of Ambulance Service Victoria operate pursuant to the "Ambulance Services Act 1986".

In addition, a number of non-emergency patient transport companies operate under the "Non-Emergency Patient Transport Act 2003" are use conventional ambulance equipped with emergency lights and sirens, and sometimes attend emergency cases.

History

In 1883 as a result of a public meeting, a branch of the St. John Ambulance Association was set up with the aim of teaching home nursing and first aid to as many people as possible. 1887 saw enough money raised to purchase six Ashford Litters which were placed at police stations. It wasn't until 1899 that Melbourne's first ambulance station was opened at the rear of the Windsor Hotel off Bourke street. It housed one horse drawn ambulance and was bought with money raised by the Association of Ladies of St John. [ [http://www.mas.vic.gov.au/Main-home/What-We-Do/History.html] Taken from the history section of the MAS website accessed 28th June 2007]

On the 26th of May 2008 the government confirmed that from July 1st 2008 all ambulance services within Victoria would combine and operate under the one banner of Ambulance Victoria. [Victorian Government Health Information Website http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ambulance/index.htm accessed 27 August 2008] This meant that Victoria would come into line with other states, having one ambulance service for the whole of the state.

Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS)

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) services an area of 9000 square kilometres, extending from the Melbourne Central Business District to the Mornington Peninsula and the peripheral rural communities of Bacchus Marsh, Whittlesea, Warburton and Koo-Wee-Rup. Almost 4 million residents live in this area. [http://www.mas.vic.gov.au/Main-home/What-We-Do/Operations/Area.html, retrieved 1 October 2007]

The primary vehicle used for emergency attendance and transport is Mercedes Benz 316 Sprinters and Ford F350’s. These units are run with two paramedics. MICA (Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance) utilise the Mercedes Benz 316's, as well as Ford Territory, Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore, Holden Adventura and Suburu Forester. The MICA units are typically staffed with one specially trained paramedic which includes advanced life support (ALS), who are utilised in cases where extensive patient care is required in addition to a regular unit. Bicycle units are utilised as first responders at major events, including the 2006 Commonwealth games, Spring Racing Carnival and The Big Day Out.

A partnership exists between the MAS and the Victorian Fire and Emergency Services Board, where firefights are dispatched to time critical medical emergencies where their response time may be quicker than that of the closest MAS unit. The primary example of this is cardiac arrest patients, which has lead to fire trucks being equipped with defibrillators and the firefighters being trained advanced CPR and defibrillation.

Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV)

Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV) is responsible for pre-hospital emergency care and transport for the 1.4 million people living and working in rural Victoria – an area of more than 215,000 square kilometres extending from the boundaries of Melbourne to the borders with South Australia and New South Wales. [http://www.rav.vic.gov.au/What-we-do.html, retrieved 1 October 2007]

Alexandra District Ambulance Service (ADAS)

Alexandra District Ambulance Services was formed by the community in 1948. The area serviced incorporates the districts of Alexandra, Eildon & Marysville (formally the shire of Alexandra). [http://www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/Directory/S2_Item.asp?Mkey=15&S3Key=26, retrieved 1 October 2007]

References

ee also

*Paramedics in Australia
*Australian Capital Territory Ambulance Service
*Ambulance Service of New South Wales
*South Australian Ambulance Service

External links

* [http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/ Ambulance Victoria]
* [http://www.mas.vic.gov.au/ Metropolitan Ambulance Service (Victoria) website]
* [http://www.rav.vic.gov.au/ Rural Ambulance Victoria website]