Delegate profile: Hear from APA (NSW) Kogarah Delegate Brett Simpson

DELEGATE PROFILE: BRETT SIMPSON

What is your role & station?

Intensive Care Paramedic, Kogarah Station.

What do you do outside of your life as a Paramedic and Delegate?

I am a father to two Jack Russells and fight a constant battle between my need for sleep and their ability to snore and take up 90% of a king size bed. It doesn’t leave much room for anything else.

Why did you become a Delegate?

I had the unfortunate pleasure of being subjected to a misconduct investigation by NSW Ambulance PSCU whilst I was doing my on-road practicum for my ICP training. I never found out what the allegation was or where it came from, but it was the most awful and horrible 12 weeks of my life. I got cleared at the end of the investigation but I wouldn’t have gotten there if it wasn’t for the support at home, and from the Industrial Team and Delegates at APA. I thought if I can repay that help to someone else going through a similar experience then I should!

What are the challenges unique to your zone?

Sydney/Sydney South East Zone is geographically one of the smallest in the state, but has a high number of Paramedics. We have three superstations with Randwick opening next month and Glebe coming online in the next year or two. It can make getting around to everyone a little difficult with so many staff on each station. I think our biggest challenge is making sure our large population of trainee Paramedics are well supported–quite often they won’t want to cause a problem, or don't know of their rights at work, so will keep quiet about issues that they might be having.

What do you find most rewarding about being a Delegate?

The most rewarding aspect of being a Delegate is being able to provide some reassurance or assistance to someone that might need it. We can’t always fix every problem or challenge, but being able to provide some relief or support is rewarding. More often than not it’s just being able to answer a question and providing clarity for another ambo.

What does solidarity mean to you?

I joined APA in my first week of my level 1 in-service, almost 12 years ago. I was never a staunch unionist or really understood what unions were. I paid my fees and didn’t really think too much of it. But having now seen the inner workings of APA and relied on their services, solidarity to me is making sure that our association is strong and wellresourced. That means making sure as many Paramedics as possible are a part of the union. Even if you never use the resources of APA (NSW) in your entire career, making sure they are available to your friends and colleagues should they ever need them is crucial.