The 47th ambulance station to be built in St John’s Northern Region has been officially opened.
The Mt Roskill Ambulance Station, at 2 Clinker St, Three Kings, was officially opened by the Auckland Mayor John Banks at 5.30pm on February 17.
And former Mumbai resident Dion Rosario is the operational team leader of the lifesaving crews who work from the new station.
Rosario just loves his job.
The station is located in St John Northern Region, which has 46 other stations in Auckland, Northland, Hauraki and the Coromandel.
This is an auspicious month and year for St John as it launched services to Aucklanders in February 1892 and during 2010 celebrates a landmark anniversary – 125 years of serving New Zealanders since its beginnings in Christchurch in April 1885.
Regional operations manager Gary Salmon says, “When St John first began here, ambulance volunteers pushed patients along the road on hand wheeled litters.”
Mt Roskill is the first ever purpose-built ambulance station in Three Kings and surrounding suburbs. St John had a small relocatable building in the carpark of the Fire Station premises on Mt Albert Road until the Fire Service vacated those premises.
As a charity whose services are not fully government funded, St John builds its stations with the help of community organisations, local communities and the volunteers of St John area committees.
A generous grant from the Lion Foundation Charitable Trust allowed us to build the Mt Roskill station.
Of the 47 stations in St John’s Northern Region, seven are in Auckland City and 22 are in the greater Auckland area, from Wellsford in the North to Pukekohe in the South, and West to Helensville.
The new station will help St John meet demand for its services: 1940: Auckland has 11 ambulances, 16,600 callouts a year; 1950: Auckland has 18 ambulances, 33,622 callouts; 1960: Auckland has 27 ambulances, 64,016 callouts; 2009: Auckland has 74 frontline and patient transfer services ambulances 134,237 callouts
Meet Dion Rosario, operations team leader at Mt Roskill Ambulance Station.
How long have you been involved with St John?
Six years.
How did you first become involved in St John?
My first interaction with St John staff was through a First Aid course as part of the Security job I was doing at the time.
What role(s) do you have in St John?
Paramedic
Operations Team Leader – Mt Roskill.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Having a chance to contribute to community by attempting to make a positive difference to someone’s life. I enjoy meeting various types of people, and interacting with them. I enjoy using my skills to change their outcomes.
Assisting my colleagues (in my team) at Mt Roskill to operate an ambulance station to high standards.
Any advice for Kiwi Indians considering becoming ambulance officers?
A hard road to achieve anything is always well cherished. My advice for Indians in New Zealand wanting to become ambulance officers would be, to be dedicated to your goals, work and study hard to achieve them. Keep the well being of your patients as the reason you want to achieve these goals. This is also an awesome opportunity to serve the wider community that we are now a part of.
Tell us about your background?
My ethnic background is Anglo Indian (Roman Catholic). I was born in Mumbai (the older name Bombay), India where I had all of my education.
How did you end up in New Zealand?
After working for 10 years, as an Intelligence officer with Customs, & Narcotics Control Bureau, India I migrated to New Zealand in 2002 with my wife & daughter. We had our second daughter in New Zealand. Whilst migrating, we burnt all our bridges in India, so starting a new life from scratch had proved to be quite a challenge.
What is the best part of being involved with St John?
It is an organisation that has and will continue to contribute to the community in more ways than one. Thus being a part of it, helps me do just that.
Describe a typical day in your role at St John.
I work the standard Watch roster 12 hour day and night shifts working from the new Mt Roskill ambulance station. When I start duty we have a handover from the previous crew and then my crew mate and I ensure that the ambulance is fully stocked and ready to respond. Following this there are a number of station duties to be performed, these ranges from general housekeeping of the station to administrative work. My primary role is as a Paramedic, so I look forward to call outs. I use my skills to help patients, and endeavour to positively change their outcome. The nature of our callouts could be as varied as the birth of a child to seriously sick elderly patient. I enjoy the variety each day brings, and go home after every shift knowing I have contributed to my patients in some small way, after giving it my best.
The secondary role as Team leader gives me an opportunity to share my skills with my colleagues. They are a great bunch, and the positive team environment helps us achieve heaps.
What is one achievement in life that you are proud of?
I am proud to have my family who support and share my passion.
What is one thing about you most people don’t know?
The one thing most people do not know about me, is that I volunteer with the Auckland Volunteer Fire Police Unit. It sometimes can be a challenge juggling family, shift work, and getting out there to do fire calls. So, do not be stunned, if you see me out there.
Leave a Comment