Ambulance Service 10-year Service Medal
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Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [5.36 p.m.]: This afternoon I seek the support of the Minister for Health to recognise ambulance officers in New South Wales, who give great service to this State. These are officers who deserve a demonstration of appreciation for their dedication to a chosen profession. As I understand it, New South Wales has a number of awards that are available to employees of the Ambulance Service. These awards are presented only to officers who have met a specific format, and upon approval of our Ambulance Board and the State General Manager of Operations.
NSW Police, New South Wales Fire Brigades and other emergency service entities have similar award provisions available to officers as specified. A point of note is that one award that those services have in common is the national medal for 15 years of diligent service, a medal presented to officers by their respective employers. That is called a Commonwealth Medal. I think it was in 2002 that the NSW Police instituted an award to those of its officers who had completed 10 years of diligent service to the force, and that medal is called the New South Wales Police Medal. The New South Wales Fire Brigades commissioner has decided to establish a long service and good conduct medal to recognise diligent service and conduct by members of the New South Wales Fire Brigades. This also is a medal for 10 years of service.
The Ambulance Service is the only one of the three major emergency service agencies, I understand, that does not offer its officers a medal for 10 years of diligent and ethical service. At a time when the average years of service for a New South Wales ambulance officer is about five, I believe encouragement is needed. Therefore I urge the Minister to look at the possibility of a medal in appreciation of 10 years of service by ambulance officers.
I understand that the National Medal is awarded to Ambulance Service personnel after 15 years of diligent service. The awarding of a medal for diligent and ethical service after 10 years may encourage ambulance officers to stay in the service. An ambulance officer in Casino said that he believed it would be a good idea to award a 10-year medal statewide. Such an award does not require an Act of Parliament: the Ambulance Service of New South Wales could institute it. I call on the Minister for Health to encourage the Chief Executive Officer of the Ambulance Service and General Manager of Operations of the board of the Ambulance Service to consider reintroducing a 10-year award for the dedicated men and women who do a tremendous job in this State.
Ms ALISON MEGARRITY (Menai—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.41 p.m.]: The honourable member made an interesting point about the need to acknowledge, in some form or another, the 10-year service of ambulance officers. In my electorate the Menai ambulance station has recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The manager, Laurie Oke, has given many years of dedicated service and has been at Menai for its 10 years of operation. I have spoken to Laurie on many occasions and I know that ambulance officers are often confronted with devastating scenes, and that takes its toll on many of them. The honourable member for Lismore is right: sometimes we need to give ambulance officers a pat on the back to encourage them to remain in such a vital job. I will raise this matter with the Minister to determine whether something can be done to acknowledge the good work they do every day of the week.