Sacked for volunteering

One of Kununurra's very few volunteer ambulancemen has been sacked from his job as a bus driver because he refused to sign an agreement with his employer.

Kim Parker, the man who has been on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for seven months, was given three weeks notice when he refused to sign an agreement that would have put accident victims and medical emergencies at risk.

The story started on November 15, when Kim received a 'Priority One' call to Argyle to transport a cardiac patient urgently to Kununurra.

The Mercedes ambulance threw a fanbelt about 400 metres north of Doon Doon Roadhouse.

(In these modern vehicles, this is not a roadside repair.)

He limped the vehicle back to the roadhouse and called for another ambulance from Kununurra to meet halfway with a police vehicle (now with emergency gear on board) at the halfway mark between Kununurra and Doon Doon.

He then called Triangle Tours boss Neil Richards on his mobile (which was unanswered) and then left a message on the landline message machine.

Kim says this was about one and three quarter hours before he was due to drive the Lakeside school bus.

Upon returning to Kununurra, Kim said he called Mr Richards again to apologise for any inconvenience and was told Mr Richards would be around to see him in the morning with a form.

When he saw the form, Kim said he realised straight away that he couldn't sign it without putting people's lives in jeopardy.

The Kimberley Echo has a copy of the form.

It states: "Prior to departure on the emergency job, advise Triangle Tours and Charters of the nature and location of the emergency job, the expected time of completion and the impact the call-out may have upon normal employment duties.

"On completion of the emergency job, immediately advise Triangle Tours and Charters that normal employment duties can resume.

"When performing the emergency duties, if it is found that these will have a greater impact on normal employment duties than initially advised, then this information must be conveyed to Triangle Tours and Charters at the earliest opportunity."

Kim said three minutes could be the difference between someone living and dying, as this is the time that the brain can survive if denied oxygen.

He said that to comply with the directive would almost certainly take longer than this.

Kim refused to sign and Mr Richards told him he had three week's notice (the end of the school term).

Kim has been driving the school bus since August last year and has not had a sick day in that time.

He has organised to be replaced on occasions when he had had to keep an appointment, but has done this well in advance.

Kim has been a volunteer surf lifesaver, fireman and St John Ambulance officer for 37 years.

He said if this sort of control was forced on other volunteers they would be forced to give up volunteering and this would cost Australia billions of dollars.

Meanwhile Kim and fellow ambulanceman Chris Brandis are still desperate for more volunteers.

To offer your help, just turn up at the ambulance subcentre next door to Kununurra District Hospital between 6pm and 8pm on Tuesday nights.