Terry Marshall celebrates 37 years with Ambulance Victoria

Geelong’s ambo boss has revealed what his future holds amid record demand.

The region’s ambo boss says he still has several years before he considers leaving Ambulance Victoria after almost four decades with the organisation.

Barwon South West regional director Terry Marshall marks 37 years of service with the organisation this month.

Ambulance Victoria's Terry Marshall. Picture: supplied

Born and raised in Geelong, he joined the service in August 1985 after a knee injury sustained playing footy meant he required a ride in the back of an ambulance.

Then a Ford apprentice, he had a light-bulb moment which set him off on the path to become a paramedic.

The 60-year-old Leopold resident has held a number of roles with Ambulance Victoria across the state.

He started in Sale, held senior roles in the metropolitan and Grampians regions and is now based in Geelong overseeing the Barwon South West region.

“When I first joined the service, you got a job and you drove people to hospital, there were no drugs or a cardiac monitor, pagers or portable radios,” the father-of-three said.

“Today we bring the care and treatment to the patient – we’ve evolved from a very basic

level of care to one of the most advanced life support paramedic models in the world, this is further supported by our Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics.”

Across the state, ambulances were called to 97,928 Code 1 cases from April to June this year – the busiest quarter in Ambulance Victoria’s history.

“I think as we start moving out of this winter peak … the pressure in the system will start to ease,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’s always really challenging, the one thing that you will see is that areas come together to work through issues, the emergency department and the paramedics work very closely together.”

Monica Marshall, Terry Marshall’s mum on his right and Joan Fitzgerald, Terry’s aunty on his left when he first graduated. Picture: Supplied

Mr Marshall, a recipient of an Ambulance Service Medal in the 2020 Australia Day Honours, said the Covid pandemic was without a doubt the biggest challenge the workforce had faced during his career.

He said while every winter the organisation went through a management strategy, Covid-19 presented something different.

He said he had another five or six years before he thought of hanging up his laryngoscope – a tool used to help airway issues.

“I’ve still go a fair bit of stuff I’d like to get done,” he said.

The decorated worker in 2008 received a commendation for brave conduct, after pulling a man from a burning car that he happened to drive by days before Christmas.

“There are many things that stay with you throughout their career and this was one of them,” Mr Marshall said.

“He was a father of four and I often think about how different that Christmas could have been for that family had I not stopped.”

Originally published as Terry Marshall celebrates 37 years with Ambulance Victoria