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Geraldton to Receive Midwest's First Four-Wheel-Drive Ambulance - Geraldton, WA
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Geraldton is set to receive the Midwest region's first four-wheel-drive ambulance in October after concerns about emergency access to remote beaches, sand dunes and other difficult-to-reach areas.
Geraldton is set to receive the Midwest region's first four-wheel-drive ambulance in October, following a year of advocacy from a family whose teenage son suffered a serious motorcycle accident at the city's sand dunes.
St John WA has confirmed that Geraldton will receive a Toyota Hi Ace four-wheel-drive ambulance adapted for off-road emergency callouts. It will be the first off-road paramedic vehicle of its type in the Midwest region. Seven similar vehicles are already positioned elsewhere across regional Western Australia, alongside 14 personnel transport vehicles.
The new ambulance follows concerns raised by the Hipper family after James Hipper, who was 17 at the time, suffered a severe spinal injury in a motorcycle crash at Geraldton's sand dunes last year. Because the accident occurred in an off-road area, an ambulance could not reach the location directly.
James's sister, Serenity Thorley, acted as a first responder while waiting for emergency assistance. The teenager had to be moved from the dunes to harder ground so he could meet an ambulance. He was subsequently diagnosed with paraplegia.
The family has spent the past year advocating for improved emergency access in areas where conventional ambulances may struggle to travel. They welcomed the announcement that an off-road ambulance would soon be available in Geraldton.
The need for specialist emergency vehicles has also been highlighted by other incidents along the Midwest coastline. Earlier this month, members of the public reportedly had to transport a shark-attack victim from a beach in a ute so the injured person could meet paramedics.
The new vehicle is expected to improve emergency access to areas such as beaches, sand dunes and other locations where standard road ambulances cannot easily travel.
However, questions remain about emergency access across the wider Midwest. Mount Magnet, located about 340 kilometres north-east of Geraldton, has stations, mining camps, unsealed roads and tourist routes that can become difficult to navigate when road conditions deteriorate.
Mount Magnet Shire president Jorgen Jensen said an all-terrain ambulance would also be valuable for communities and people travelling through the wider region. St John WA said it regularly reviews its regional fleet requirements based on operational demand, geography and local conditions.
The Western Australian Government said 28 WA Country Health Service ambulances operate across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Midwest. It said ambulance locations are determined by factors including geography, population distribution, road conditions and health-service needs.
AmbulanceEmergencyGeraldtonMidwestDunes
Geraldton is set to receive the Midwest region's first four-wheel-drive ambulance in October, following a year of advocacy from a family whose teenage son suffered a serious motorcycle accident at the city's sand dunes.
St John WA has confirmed that Geraldton will receive a Toyota Hi Ace four-wheel-drive ambulance adapted for off-road emergency callouts. It will be the first off-road paramedic vehicle of its type in the Midwest region. Seven similar vehicles are already positioned elsewhere across regional Western Australia, alongside 14 personnel transport vehicles.
The new ambulance follows concerns raised by the Hipper family after James Hipper, who was 17 at the time, suffered a severe spinal injury in a motorcycle crash at Geraldton's sand dunes last year. Because the accident occurred in an off-road area, an ambulance could not reach the location directly.
James's sister, Serenity Thorley, acted as a first responder while waiting for emergency assistance. The teenager had to be moved from the dunes to harder ground so he could meet an ambulance. He was subsequently diagnosed with paraplegia.
The family has spent the past year advocating for improved emergency access in areas where conventional ambulances may struggle to travel. They welcomed the announcement that an off-road ambulance would soon be available in Geraldton.
The need for specialist emergency vehicles has also been highlighted by other incidents along the Midwest coastline. Earlier this month, members of the public reportedly had to transport a shark-attack victim from a beach in a ute so the injured person could meet paramedics.
The new vehicle is expected to improve emergency access to areas such as beaches, sand dunes and other locations where standard road ambulances cannot easily travel.
However, questions remain about emergency access across the wider Midwest. Mount Magnet, located about 340 kilometres north-east of Geraldton, has stations, mining camps, unsealed roads and tourist routes that can become difficult to navigate when road conditions deteriorate.
Mount Magnet Shire president Jorgen Jensen said an all-terrain ambulance would also be valuable for communities and people travelling through the wider region. St John WA said it regularly reviews its regional fleet requirements based on operational demand, geography and local conditions.
The Western Australian Government said 28 WA Country Health Service ambulances operate across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Midwest. It said ambulance locations are determined by factors including geography, population distribution, road conditions and health-service needs.
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