St John Ambulance Volunteers- Tapanui

Our Christchurch Emergency Call Centre receives, on average, around 20 ambulance 
calls each month from the Lumsden and Riversdale, Tapanui areas. 
As a rural and remote community, we face unique challenges. The nearest hospital is 
approximately 30 minutes away, and the closest staffed ambulance is based in Gore. At 
times, that crew may already be attending another patient elsewhere in Southland when 
a 111 call is received, leaving our community vulnerable. 
Your support is greatly needed within the Riversdale and Tapanui and Lumsden communities.  
We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers providing local first 
response. These individuals step forward to help others in their time of need, while balancing full-time work, family commitments, and busy lives. 
Could you help? 
Do you have an employer who could support you to leave work for an hour to respond to an emergency?
Or do you have availability in the evenings or overnight to assist if someone in your community needs urgent care? 
Our fully equipped First Response Unit enables trained volunteers to provide immediate care and support until a transporting ambulance crew can arrive from outside the area. 
Hato Hone St John provides full training, equipping our First Responders with the skills and confidence to care for both medical and trauma patients. This includes an internationally recognised First Responder qualification, endorsed by NZQA. 
If you are interested in supporting your community and becoming part of Hato Hone St John, please contact: 
Debbie Blatch, Group Operations Manager Southland East – 027 287 8153 
Sandra Wilson, Volunteer Support Manager – 027 232 8479 
This could be a life-changing decision — not only for you, but for someone in your community when they need help the most.