Longtime paramedic retires

By Jonathon Howard

ONE OF the Tweed Shire’s longest serving intensive care paramedics, Grant Prendergast, has announced his official retirement this week following a career spanning more than four decades.

Working in the Tweed Valley since the early 1990s, Grant has been a first responder to hundreds, if not thousands, of accident scenes and calls for assistance. His friendly approach and calm demeanour have served the Tweed well for more than three decades working up to officer in charge of Murwillumbah station and making him an invaluable asset to the community.

You could say Grant has seen and done it all, having started his career as a probationary ambulance officer in Dubbo during September 1980.

He was later posted to Coonabarabran from 1981 to 1983, Moree from 1983 to 1984, Bathurst from 1984 to 1986, and Dubbo until 1993 before his arrival in Murwillumbah.

Always eager to gain more skills, Grant completed his Intensive Care Paramedic

A LOCAL HERO: Grant Prendergast has spent the past 40 years committed to his role as a paramedic, now he's ready for a course in 2008.

“It’s been a challenging time over the past few years with an increasing workload and I felt it was the right time to retire,” he said.

Grant said he’s seen his industry change dramatically over the years with the advent of advanced life support and high-level interventions in the field.

“If we get a stroke, for example, we can treat it on scene immediately and put them on a health pathway,” he said.

Grant said he wanted to thank all emergency services including police, VRA, SES, Fire and Rescue, Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter crews, and his paramedic team.

“I need to give a special thank you to my wife Ann, who is a longtime emergency nurse and understands the challenges of being a paramedic,” he said.

Grant said the role of a paramedic is