By Eleanor Wilson
A Pearcedale paramedic is one of just eight Ambulance Victoria employees recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours.
Carmel Rogers, who manages a team of paramedics on the Mornington Peninsula, was announced as a recipient of the Ambulance Service Medal (ASM)for two decades dedicated to the job.
Mrs Rogers was acknowledged for her work to increase education and services for cardiac arrest patients in isolated areas of the Peninsula.
This work has seen her lead community engagement CPR training sessions for the community and working with stakeholders for a donation of over 24 additional Automatic Extendable Defibrillators (AEDs) for the district.
“Some areas in the southern end of the Mornington Peninsula are really isolated, so to try to improve survival rates for of out of hospital cardiac arrest, we’ve tried to improve people’s CPR skills,” she said.
Mrs Rogers and her team engage with businesses and organisations in isolated areas of the Peninsula, such as Red Hill and Balnarring, to establish the Call-Push-Shock program.
“It’s a really simplified form of CPR that people feel comfortable engaging with and actually giving it a go if someone has a cardiac arrest,“ she said.
Mrs Rogers said AEDs are vital in the case of cardiac arrest.
“As much as calling Triple Zero and starting CPR helps … having access to an AED can significantly increase survival rates of out of hospital cardiac arrest,” she said.
“As paramedics, when we go to a cardiac arrest job, its often a case of, if someone had started CPR earlier or had access to an AED, it might’ve been a different result.
“It’’s really important to have access to that early intervention and its a big effort down on the Peninsula that my team have worked to pull off.“
The additional AEDS have been implements in areas such as community halls and sports complexes, including one at Pearcedale’s Bendigo Bank.
“The AEDs are also registered with Ambulance Victoria, so a Triple Zero call taker can identify where they are and guide the caller through the process of using it on a person who has suffered cardiac arrest,“ MRs Rogers said.
“That is what will increase survival rates in out of hospital cardiac arrest.“
Mrs Rogers commenced work with Ambulance Victoria as an advanced life support paramedic in 2001, after pivoting from a career as a state-enrolled nurse.
“I decided I wanted a change and a challenge and something different and I happened to see an ad in the Herald Sun advertising for ambulance paramedic positions and went for it,“ she said.
“It was a six-month process and I was extremely lucky to get through…It’s such a rewarding role and I feel so privileged everyday to put the uniform on and go out there and work.“
The grandmother of three said receiving the ASM, which she plans to wear proudly on her Ambulance Victoria uniform, came unexpectedly.
“It came as a huge surprise… there are so many people in our organisation that are deserving of that medal, so it’s very humbling to be awarded it today, its something very special,“she said.
The stress of the pandemic on front line workers makes the medal all the more worthwhile for Mrs Rogers.
“Paramedics in Victoria and across Australia have done it extremely hard over the last few years…the stress and the toll it has taken has been huge, so it’s a big privilege to be honoured with his award.“
“As much as anything, its a huge team effort. No one does any of this on their own and I’m really lucky to have an amazing team, they make my job as a manager so much better and easier.“
