 |
| Photo: Hugh O’Brien |
When London paramedics dealt with the aftermath of the underground rail and bus terrorist bombings last July, they used a staff support program developed and road tested in the Smart State.
The program, known by Queensland paramedics as Priority One, has been built from the ground up by the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) over the past 14 years.
The program includes psychological debriefing, face-to-face counselling, a peer support program, chaplaincy service, 1-800 free call statewide telephone counselling service, gay and lesbian support service and Indigenous employee support service.
QAS Coordinator of Staff Support Services Paul Scully (pictured) said the aspect of most interest to the London Ambulance Service was the Peer Support program where fellow officers are specially trained to provide frontline support to colleagues after distressing events.
“Emergency services personnel tend to respond best in the first instance to support from fellow officers who have walked the walk and who have a natural empathy in times of distress–someone they can instantly trust and identify with and who understands the nature and context of the work,” Mr Scully said.
Approximately 10 per cent of QAS officers have undertaken the six-day, Peer Support training course which develops an array of skills in listening, supporting and understanding their fellow workers. About two thirds of those trained have since undertaken additional tertiary training or study in allied fields.
Paul Scully said Priority One had been developed and fine-tuned based on empirical research over a number of years and he paid tribute to past and present commissioners Noel Gillard, Gerry Fitzgerald and Jim Higgins for their strong support.
“Credit must also go to those Peer Supporters who have given so generously of their time over the life of the program and who have built up such goodwill and genuine support among their colleagues.”
The program has also been introduced into the Queensland Department of Child Safety as well as other UK ambulance services in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Peter Bradley, CEO of the London Ambulance Service, the largest free ambulance service in the world, has expressed his gratitude to the QAS for its role in establishing the program for London paramedics.
Last reviewed 15 March 2006