Ambulance praises schoolgirl hero!
Terrigal Paramedic Frances Willmott visited Terrigal Public School’s morning assembly to congratulate a special young girl in front of her peers and teachers.
With maturity beyond her years, nine year old Amba was recognised by Ambulance as a hero and presented her with a Triple Zero Star award for calling triple zero when a real medical emergency was occurring in her family home.
Just before the Easter school holidays in the wee hours of the morning, Amba called triple zero and spoke to Northern Operations Centre call taker Richard Hay after her mum collapsed in the living room and suddenly felt ill. Richard stayed on the phone with Amba and it became apparent that Amba’s mum was very unwell. Richard talked Amba through what to do to help her mum while Amba gave excellent directions to her house and what had occurred that evening.
Unlike many callers who are facing a potentially life threatening and stressful situation, Amba kept calm on the phone while an ambulance was urgently rushing to the family home.
Terrigal paramedics Frances Willmott and Andrew Johnson were first at the address backed up by the Bateau Bay crew of Benjamin Wightman and Greg Allen.
Amba met them at the door explaining her mum’s medical history and gathered all the appropriate belongings needed for hospital.
Amba’s mum spent nearly four weeks in hospital recovering and was able to witness the presentation at school. It was an emotional presentation as little Amba was recognised for calling for assistance which ultimately saved her mum’s life.
Five hundred pupils from Terrigal Public School were reminded that if they find themselves in a similar position with no adult around, that they too can call triple zero and ask for ambulance.
Ambulance has recently rolled out a school education program called
"Be an Ambulance Hero: Dial Zero Zero Zero" in which Terrigal
Public School has participated. The program, aimed at young children,
hopes to
equip them with simple decision making skills, increase awareness
of the difference between a little accident and a big accident,
including how to
identify an unconscious person, how to call an ambulance in an
emergency and answer questions from the ambulance call taker.
Ambulance is committed to assisting the community create safer and healthier environments and outcomes by making prevention everyone’s businesses. A number of innovative community education programs have been implemented to assist identify life threatening conditions, understand what to do in an emergency and the importance of adopting illness prevention strategies.