Official Ambulance services to Nambour and the hinterland began 100 years ago this month and to celebrate this epic milestone there will be an Open Day at the Tramway Terminal in Mill Street on April 23 from 10am-2pm.

“We’re Inviting the community to come along and help us celebrate and have a sausage sizzle,” said Nambour Local Ambulance Committee President Gary Langford. “There will be face painting and entertainment, and memorabilia will be on display including vintage ambulances. Also, paramedics will be donating their time to promote CPR awareness. It’s an opportunity to celebrate 100 years of service with past and present staff.”

Another highlight of the Open Day will be the opportunity to view Nambour’s first motorised ambulance vehicle almost 100 years after it began helping save people’s lives in 1927.

CPR lessons

Chief Inspector Alexis Hughes, Manager Clinical Education said paramedics would be available to provide first aid instruction and answer questions.

“We’ll provide a basic session in CPR that covers crucial aspects like the depth, the rate and the rhythm of CPR,” she said. “People will get an opportunity to practice those skills on a mannequin. We’ll have qualified staff delivering these important skills. Everyone needs to know CPR and this is a great opportunity to learn from the experts.”

Officer in Charge Nambour Station Joy Reitze said CPR awareness was an essential skill for everyone to learn. “Every second counts in pre-ambulance care,” she said. “The sooner you start CPR the better the outcome for the patient. If no-one has been doing CPR by the time we get here there’s simply less chance of survival.”

Gary said the Open Day was an opportunity to get to know your local ambos. “All that most people tend to know about the Ambulance Service is the lights and sirens. But behind the lights and sirens are a group of wonderful, dedicated professionals who are also mums and dads and members of our community.” 

Gary said, from a first aid perspective, it was also important for people to get to know the locations of local Auto External Defibrillators (AEDs). 

“They’re everywhere in the community and it’s helpful if people get to know these locations so they can help provide early assistance in an emergency. In Nambour they’re all over the place — at shopping centre’s, gyms, doctor’s surgeries, the RSL and the golf club for instance.

Gary started on the Local Ambulance Committee 23 years ago with fellow locals Greg Biggs and Geoffrey Brown when the service was situated at what is now called the Old Ambo Station in Howard Street. The trio remain on the committee to this day. The current Nambour Ambulance station is in Rigby Street.

Nambour Ambulance Centenary Open Day at Nambour Tram Terminal in Mill Street, near Coles, on April 23 from 10am-2pm.