Volunteer service part of Glen’s life
Despite 28 years of service to Ambulance Victoria, Neerim South’s Glen Chapman was shocked when she received news that she was to be awarded an Ambulance Service Medal.
The ambulance service has been such a big part of her family’s life that she wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
“It was a complete shock, and it has been hard keeping it confidential,” Glen said.
“I was thrilled to get it. “It would interrupt your sleep and your daily activities, so it’s nice to know how much it’s been appreciated.”
Among the interruptions were accidents near Baw Baw and visits to major fires, but Glen’s care to the community wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“It was 11pm at night and my son and I had been called to an accident near Mt Baw Baw,” she said.
“One officer from Warragul came, it was 1.30am by the time we got to them.
“They told us there were two injured; there were eight.
“By the time we had cleared the whole accident, I got into work at Warragul at 11am and I had to get someone to milk the cows.”
With her family all having volunteered with the Ambulance Service, keeping the accolade from them proved to be a challenge.
“My children were in the ambulance and my husband used to be a director.
“We worked it out, I think there has been 64 years of service in the whole family.
“My son is now a medical emergency pilot, my daughter has been a nurse and my other daughter is in remedial massage, so we’ve all stayed in the field.”
Glen said her community work had followed on from her parents, who had been involved with St John’s and the Red Cross.
“We had the ambulance here so we could have a quick getaway. In the early days it was a great family unit.
“We were five or six reasonably active people and we used to go out in the car alone. You can’t do that now.”
Glen has provided awareness, training and education services to many community groups, including visits to schools to educate children on how to phone triple zero and provide first aid.
She also played a pivotal role in the evacuation of the Neerim South Hospital during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
Glen said it had always been pleasing to know that full time officers at Warragul were always available to assist where required.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the Warragul members,” she said.
“They were always there to support us and back us up.”
While Glen was hoping to reach 30 years of service, she will now retire just shy of that mark having provided 28 years of service.