The recently launched community engagement plan is Ambulance Victoria’s first comprehensive strategy to engage and partner with communities across the state.
Also known as Working Together with our Community 2017-2019, the plan is an expression of Ambulance Victoria’s commitment to change and adapt to meet community expectations.
The event started with a Welcome to Country and didgeridoo performance by Ambulance Victoria’s Jida Gulpilil, an Aboriginal community leader who is also an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO) in Boort near Bendigo in regional Victoria. In the sidelines of the event Jida Gulpilil expressed his passion for his chosen career: “The core of being a paramedic is to be looked at from the community as a person that you can trust and that can ultimately save your life.”
Jida Gulpilil speaking at the launch of Ambulance Victoria event Source: Ambulance Victoria
According to Ambulance Victoria’s website ACO's have life-saving skills that they develop and maintain every year. They're trained to provide a support service; they provide early interventions and can transport patients.
During the year 670 ACO's were active in their local communities responding to emergencies and promoting health care.
Jida is not just an ACO. He is also one of many Aboriginal Paramedic Cadets across the state. All Ambulance Victoria cadets receive ACO training and goes on road with other paramedics, receiving practical on-the-job training.
He lauds the support provided by Ambulance Victoria.: “I was employed by Ambulance Victoria first as a Community Officer and now I have been given the important training pathway support by Ambulance Victoria to go and pursue a double degree. I have already had a hands on experience. I have been on a shift, across a roster as an ACO and I am out on the road with other paramedics and being trained on the job.”
Jida understands that the community engagement program in which he is involved is new but he is confident that it will succeed thanks to the dedication of all involved. "With the awareness that we will start to build amongst our community through Ambulance Victoria, and even through the University where I study, we will increase the community’s awareness of the opportunities, partnerships that could be formed, education programs; community awareness..."
Jida Gulpilil is also convinced that the program will go from strength to strength. “Day by day that awareness will only grow. Our community will be well connected through the Aboriginal grapevine and it won’t take long for our people to become aware of what Ambulance Victoria are actually doing, supporting our community. It is a very exciting time not only for myself but I feel for all of the communities; their program will also benefit other people from other diverse backgrounds.”
Jida's enthusiasm for the community engagement plan is shared by Ambulance Victoria Chair Ken Lay. “We know that greater engagement and participation by consumers and the community in their own health care decisions, and in the shape and delivery of health care services more broadly, improves people’s experiences of care and ultimately their outcomes of care,” Ken Lay said in the sidelines of the launch.