Kimberley ambulance service set to grow
Broome's emergency service could potentially grow by 25 per cent next year with the opening of a new $4.8 million St John Ambulance regional sub-centre.
The new state-of-the-art facility, situated on Cable Beach Road East, will provide a hub for St John Ambulance services across the region.
It will serve as a regional office, a training centre for first-aid training and a paramedics' depot.
St John Ambulance representatives, volunteers, delegates and members of the Broome community attended the grand opening last week and were given a tour of the new facility.
The sub-centre features a six-bay drive-through cyclone-proof garage, which will cater for the extra ambulances required for the planned increase to eight paramedics and improve the turnaround time for an ambulance to respond to incidents.
The project was supported by the Regional Development Australia Fund, which contributed $2.5 million, with $2 million also contributed by the State Government.
The centre will boost support to volunteer sub-entries in the North West, including for five community paramedics operating in smaller communities.
St John chief executive Tony Ahern said the new headquarters would allow the organisation to grow to meet the increased demand for services.
"Our workload in Broome has been building for some time and this new facility gives us much needed additional capacity to serve this community," he said.
St John Ambulance regional manager Wil White said the opening of the office would cater for the increased demand for paramedic services.
"It really gives us the opportunity for growth, particularly in Broome, but for the regional (areas) it gives us an opportunity to really brainstorm and reach all of the communities across the Pilbara and Kimberley regions," he said.
"For Broome, it gives us visibility and somewhere that's really inviting for the volunteers to come and volunteer their time.
"That provides us with the opportunity to maintain business as usual and grow the ambulance service when we move to two operational crews early next year."
Shire of Broome president Graeme Campbell said it was "fantastic" that Broome probably had the best ambulance centre in regional WA.
Kimberley MP Josie Farrer said the St John Ambulance service was significant for the community.
