Ambulance call-outs quicker Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au AMBULANCE response times have marginally improved in Kingston but are still falling short of best practice targets for emergency call-outs. Data released by Ambulance Victoria shows 84.4 per cent of code one calls in 2015-16 were responded to within 15 minutes. The average response time in 201516 to 8142 incidents was 11 minutes, 32 seconds. This was an improvement on an average response time of 11 minutes, 37 seconds to 8034 incidents in 2014-15. The Ambulance Victoria target for under 15 minutes response times for areas with a population greater than 7500 is 90 per cent. The Kingston area has more than 154,000 residents. Despite the failure to meet the 90 per cent benchmark, Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson was upbeat about ambulance response times. “City of Kingston patients experiencing life-threatening conditions can have every confidence they will receive faster responses from paramedics today than they did under the previous government,” Mr Richardson said in a statement. “These improvements have occurred in conjunction with a growing demand for ambulances.” Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy in April said the state government included $144 million “to fix the ambulance system after four years of crisis” in its first budget.
Times sensitive: Health Minister Jill Hennessy, left, paramedics Danielle North, Carmel Rogers, Cath Anderson and MP Tim Richardson at Mordialloc. Picture: Gary Sissons
“With ambulance response times now the best they have been in five years, this shows what can be achieved by working together with our paramedics – instead of declaring war on them like the Liberals did,” Ms Hennessy said in a statement this month. Liberal opposition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said ambulance services are not improving in line with increased funding. “Before the last election, Daniel Andrews claimed ambulance response times were in crisis and said he would fix it,” Ms Wooldridge said.
“After nearly two years as Premier, he is nowhere near his target, with response times similar to what they were under the previous government when Daniel Andrews claimed it was a crisis.” In 2014, when the previous Coalition state government was in power, Ambulance Victoria refused to release response times categorised by local government area and instead only provided statewide figures. Ambulance Victoria’s board was axed and replaced after Labor’s state election win in November 2014.
Police patrol
Trucks set ablaze FOUR trucks valued at $500,000 were deliberately set alight at a Braeside industrial estate last week. The three five-tonne trucks and a prime mover were extensively damaged and another five-tonne truck and Jeep 4x4 received minor heat damage when an arsonist set them alight, 1am, Wednesday 9 November. Kingston CIU Senior Constable John Barbour said the three trucks targeted were owned by the one contractor, and it appeared the arsonist had singled him out. A witness told police he was driving along Boundary Rd when he saw two trucks on fire in the car park at Breeze Logistics. As he stopped to call 000 he saw a man wearing dark clothing run through the car park “pumping his fist in the air” and into Industrial Drive. The man crossed Boundary Rd and disappeared into the Epsom estate. Five CFA units brought the blaze under control in 20 minutes. CCTV footage is being examined.
Toilet trouble
A DRINKER was allegedly punched in the back of the head and kneed in the ribs in an unprovoked attack in a Chelsea hotel toilet, 9.30pm, Wednesday 9 November. The man, 31, of Edithvale, told staff who then saw the alleged attacker, wearing a hi-vis vest, in the car park. Police arrived and arrested the man, 33, of Carrum Downs, over an outstanding warrant. A pair of knuckle dusters was allegedly found in his pants pocket. He was taken to Mordialloc police station where
he was released pending summons on charges of intentionally cause injury and carrying the knuckle dusters.
Tap and take A BANK debit card mislaid by a commuter at Bonbeach train station last week was fraudulently used four times in 37 minutes – racking up debts of $221. Chelsea police were told the tap-andgo card was in a wallet with $70 cash, driver’s licence, and several loyalty cards when lost at 6pm. It was used three times at the Chelsea Woolworths in Bath St within half an hour from about 6.20pm onwards and for the fourth time, at a Station St liquor store at 6.37pm. The bank cancelled the card at 8.15pm. CCTV footage is being examined to identify the male offender.
Jewels taken JEWELLERY and cash valued up to $100,000 was stolen from a Carrum house, Monday. Police said the offenders may have jumped a fence to enter the backyard of the Kemp St property and then used a jemmy to force open rear sliding doors. Once inside they ransacked the main bedroom stealing jewellery and a jewellery box from a walk-in wardrobe. The haul included wedding and engagement rings and watches. The offenders searched upstairs bedrooms before stealing cash from a study in the daytime raid. A witness said she saw a man with white hair and speaking in “a Dutch accent” in the driveway. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000.
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
16 November 2016
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