Northland now has three new ambulances serving the region thanks to the generosity of Hato Hone St John’s (HHStJ) longtime funder Grassroots Trust.
The new vehicles include one patient transfer service (PTS) ambulance for Kawakawa and two emergency ambulances, one each for Otamatea and Bream Bay.
An ambulance dedication event was held at the Bream Bay station in Ruakaka on 24 July, which was attended by Hato Hone St John dignitaries and operations staff, Grassroots Trust representatives, and local iwi members.
The ceremony was opened with a hīmene, karakia, and mihi whakatau by Patuharakeke representatives. Introductions and speeches were then delivered by Hato Hone St John spokespeople and Chairman of Grassroots Trust Limited, Martin Bradley.
The vehicle dedication was led by Margaret Suckling, Hato Hone St John District Chaplain, DStJ, which included blessings and whanaungatanga, and closed with a karakia.
Grassroots Trust has supported the purchase of five different Hato Hone St John vehicles so far this year, including these three vehicles for Northland, along with a new emergency ambulance for Dunedin and a patient transfer ambulance for Tauranga.
A long-standing supporter of Hato Hone St John, Grassroots Trust, together with Grassroots Trust Central, has granted more than $4m towards vehicles and equipment since 2022.
“We are proud to support an iconic and essential New Zealand service to the level that we do. Over the last three years, the Grassroots Trust Group has funded 14 ambulances, three additional emergency vehicles, and other essential resources for communities around the country,” says Mr Bradley.
“The commitment shown by the staff and volunteers at Hato Hone St John should be an inspiration to everyone.”
The two emergency ambulance vehicles are both Generation 4 – the newest model. They are fitted with modern equipment such as a power-load electric stretcher and stair carry chair, which help make it easier and safer to move patients in and out of the vehicle.
The new patient transfer ambulance is also the latest vehicle model, with key components including power units for specialist hospital equipment and seating for four people – hospital escorts, patients, or relatives, for example, as well as most medical equipment found in an emergency ambulance.
Ben Lockie, Hato Hone St John Northland District Operations Manager, says his teams are incredibly grateful for the new resources and emphasises how impactful they will be.
"These ambulances are so much more than 'vehicles'. They are our key enabling factor, getting our people to where we are needed most and our patients to where they need to be," says Mr Lockie.
"Ambulances are our office, clinic, protection, our light source, and a twelve-hour mobile home. Inside, ambulance officers care for patients, but they also care for each other – debriefing incidents, discussing their personal lives, and sharing the daily emotions that are an inevitable part of the job. In these 'vehicles', our staff become family and develop bonds that are unique and difficult to describe to those outside of the service.
"From the entire Hato Hone St John Northland team, thank you to Grassroots Trust for these three new ambulances, they are going to make a significant difference to people's lives."
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Hato Hone St John media team