Top accolade for hard-working ambo transport officer

NOT everyone is cut out to be a patient transport officer with the ambulance service. You have to be resilient but kind-hearted, practical but able to think outside the square.

Jeff Doedens with wife Gillian after accepting the award.

NOT everyone is cut out to be a patient transport officer with the ambulance service. You have to be resilient but kind-hearted, practical but able to think outside the square.

Jeff Doedens love of ambulance work started very early.

They are all qualities long-time Queensland Ambulance Service patient transport officer Jeff Doedens has in spades and part of the reason he received a prestigious National Service Medal for 15 years of dedicated service. A patient transport officer is not a fully-fledged paramedic, but they do have a degree of medical training and are used to transporting non-acute patients to hospital and other places and back to their residences.

Mr Doedens started his career in the manufacturing business, where he worked for 18 years. “During that time, I also acted as a first aid officer,” he said. “I felt I wanted a career change and to serve the community with a hands-on approach. This is how I initially became a patient transport officer.”

He moved to Logan West Station in November 2016 to be closer to home.