Grant Prendergast: Tweed man retires after 42 years working as a paramedic
From scooping up injured Mount Warning/Wollumbin trekkers to the Bathurst motorcycle riots – this retiring Tweed paramedic has had quite a ride in his 42 years of service.
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A retiring Tweed paramedic who has worked in the role for more than 40 years has had quite a ride – from scooping up injured Mount Warning trekkers to the Bathurst motorcycle riots.
Awarded Murwillumbah ambo Grant Prendergast has been serving the public and saving lives for a marathon 42 years – more than two-thirds of his life – but will soon call it a day.
First, Mr Prendergast, 62, said he was embarking on a mission trip to Africa with Kenya Health, which is overseeing medical teams.
Once he returns he will hit the road in a brand new caravan for some well-earned rest and make the most of time spent with loved ones, including wife Ann.
Mr Prendergast’s retirement reveal has sparked a wave of emotions and support from the Tweed community.
He said he was overwhelmed by the kind words from people he has interacted with over the years.
“As a paramedic, there are a lot of ups and downs – we try and focus on the good stuff”, he said.
“It‘s an ever-changing world, the pre-hospital care world.
“You need to be able to embrace change and take yourself out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself with some of the work you do and go above and beyond.”
Mr Prendergast recounted being “part of the first response team to the 2017 and 2022 floods by continuing to provide services to the community in adverse conditions”.
He also pointed to Mount Warning/Wollumbin rescues as a fairly memorable part of his career. The mountain hike is off limits for now – no doubt limiting similar emergencies.
“Mount Warning has been a big part of my career we did a lot of rescues over my career,” Mr Prendergast said.
Sometimes the situations were pretty precarious.
“We had to carry a person up the chain (used to help climb) to put them on a helicopter,” Mr Prendergast said of one job.
“We were pushed for time because it was starting to get dark. We had to make a concerted effort to get them up the chain before dark.”
He mentioned a number of major incidents he was tasked to during his lengthy stint in the job.
“I was involved in the Bathurst motorcycle riots in 1985, the Nyngan flood emergencies in Western NSW (in 1990) – there was a massive evacuation by helicopter, and I was one of the first helicopters to arrive”, he said.
Regarding the riots, Mr Prendergast said it “was full on” working during the “big clash between the bikie gangs and the police, where they basically trapped the police and paramedics in the police compound on Mount Panorama”.
Mr Prendergast acknowledged his wife Ann, who is also a longstanding emergency services worker, for her support throughout his career.
“She has been super supportive with the odd call hours,” he said.
“She‘s been an emergency nurse at John Flynn Private Hospital on the Gold Coast for the last 30 years and does casual shifts at the Murwillumbah Hospital’s Emergency Department.”
Mr Prendergast wished his fellow emergency services workers all the best and was appreciative of their work.
“Thank you to all the other emergency services over the years – police, fire, SES and the Volunteer Rescue Association,” he said.
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