I was privileged to work in the radio room of MAS in Melbourne before they privatized their operation and it was one of the most humbling and interesting jobs that I have ever had.
It was tough especially at the beginning. There was five or six of us, civilians employed at the same time. The purpose of hiring us from the logistics industry was to demonstrate that we could do the job as well as the uniformed officers that were already doing that job, but without the three years intensive training the officers had undergone.
We were the justification for the actual privatization of the MAS radio room, and we were actually listened to, initially without our knowledge, to train the privatized civilian operators. Once we realized they were listening covertly, we would sing to them when it was quiet to make sure they were entertained.
I was one of two women in this experiment.
The Training Was As Tough As The Politics
We had a five week grind for our training, and no job at the end if we failed it was tough. Every week we had classes on essential medical information, with an exam each week so we could progress.
The part I found the most humbling was riding with paramedics while they worked. Riding with lights and sirens through the traffic not knowing what we would face on arrival. The two calls that stood out for me was a man collapsed in a pub at 7am in the morning.
It was surreal with the smell of piss and stale urine. He was passed out nothing major and was transported by ambulance to the hospital for a thorough check up to ensure there was nothing more involved.
The other was in the evening. We arrived at a private home and the patient had taken an overdose, but was awake and aware.
It was humbling being part of such a private moment in someone’s life, in their bedroom surrounded by loved ones. She was also transported to hospital for critical care but that moment I spent in her life stayed with me and I can visually recall the details 20 years later.
The Officers Didn’t Want Us There
Once our training was finished, we had to overcome the barriers the Ambulance officers put up. They didn’t want us there. I was lucky my squad didn’t make my life difficult, they welcomed me, but for a while there were threats of strikes and some of my colleagues on other squads were given a verbal hard time just for existing.
After serious negotiations we were welcomed, and my experience was that the squad that I was assigned to was an amazing bunch of guys. Warm and welcoming, they shared their knowledge and supported me in all ways. I felt adopted, in a good way, as the “girl” on the squad.
The Job Was Tough, Rewarding & Humbling
We took many calls every night. I was a radio despatcher, but when the call takers went home in the evening we would also answer all of the phone calls.
One of the ones that I will never forget was an older woman suffering from an asthma attack. Luckily our system at the time, could identify where the caller was ringing from and this enabled us to dispatch a MICA ambulance while asking her more details. She struggled to speak and had an audible wheeze.
When our officers arrived there was no answer at the door and they had to break in with police to gain access. I hoped that we were in time, we had rushed there as quickly as possible.
We were too late she had passed away already, a lesson about how quickly asthma can take a life. I was gutted, but sadly we couldn’t save everyone no matter how hard we try, one of the hardest but most important lessons I learned doing that work.
A more recent lesson is that to leave well alone, leave people to their path unless they ask for assistance, something I have struggled with for years.
Peace out