Volunteers gave up 3948 hours in a total of 332 shifts at Echuca, Shepparton, Tatura, Rochester and Bendigo, as well as the emergency command centre, between October 15 and November 9.
For each shift, two volunteer members were stationed to provide patient care for 12 hours at a time.
Altogether, 57 volunteers served across the state at relief centres, while 33 members were deployed to the emergency command centre to facilitate communications, logistics and planning.
Across the centres, St John Ambulance volunteers treated 647 patients for a range of clinical and non-clinical needs – from attending to first aid incidents, including two cardiac-related issues, to providing psychological support.
St John Ambulance Victoria chief executive Gordon Botwright said this fast response was only possible due to the organisation’s network of volunteers, equipment and facilities across the state, which is put in place by St John Ambulance Victoria and funded almost entirely without any state, federal or local government funding.
“To ensure we have this response network ready for emergencies such as fires, floods, and pandemics, we instead rely on the support and generosity of our donors and the public and businesses who purchase training or products from us,” Mr Botwright said.
“We have been calling on the Andrews government and the opposition to support our emergency readiness, however, as yet have no commitments on any funding to support this important work.”
With more than 1800 volunteers across the state, St John Ambulance Victoria is the only first aid provider able to respond within mere hours with first aid support and field hospitals for communities affected by emergencies like bushfires, floods and pandemics.
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