Wodonga medic devotes decades to St John

This Wodonga paramedic has given his time and expertise for the past four decades as a St John Ambulance volunteer. He is a nominee in The Weekly Times Heart Volunteer Awards.

Wodonga paramedic Grant Parker, 58, has been a devoted St John volunteer since he was 12 years old. Picture: Dannika Bonser

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PARAMEDIC Grant Parker’s calling in life is to help people when they are at their most vulnerable — during emergencies.

With the benefit of hindsight, he says the revelation hit when he was 12 years old.

“On reflection, my mother was a bit crook at around that age and I suppose I looked at getting into an area where you hope that you could help people,” says the career paramedic, who has volunteered for St John Ambulance for the past 46 years.

“I started as a cadet in 1973; I thought that was a great way to start off with learning first aid.”

Grant Parker in the ambulance at the Wodonga St John station. Picture: Dannika Bonser

The softly spoken 58-year-old grew up in Wodonga, in the NSW Riverina, initially joining the St John youth program — which is similar to Scouts — when he was still in primary school.

At the age of 17 he lost his mother to illness, which cemented his decision to devote both his career and free time to emergency response.

As a member of St John, Grant progressed from cadet to first aid officer then volunteer paramedic, eventually landing a career with Ambulance Victoria, where he now works as a highly qualified Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance paramedic.

Despite working long, stressful ambulance shifts, Grant has never lost enthusiasm for pitching in for St John.

“The volunteering was a way of being able to be that bit more community-minded,” Grant says.

The Wodonga branch, where he volunteers, provides services at more than 200 events a year, from Pony Club competitions and bike races to boating regattas and music festivals. It also runs free first aid training for schoolchildren and CPR training.

Grant says without the St John team — which state-wide includes more than 2500 doctors, nurses, paramedics and first aid officers — these events would not be able to run safely.

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“If we didn’t have volunteers doing things, I think the community would be much the worse for it,” he says.

“I think it is fair to say a lot of volunteer organisations are feeling the pinch a bit because there are more demands on them and less people available … It would be nice if we could get a few more people.”

The Wodonga branch recently put a call out for more help.

Grant believes his 46-year contribution pales in comparison to how much St John has enriched his own life.

“I’ve been pretty lucky in the opportunities I have had through St John … it has been a big thing for me that I got into the profession and career that I always wanted,” he says.