Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Picton volunteer gets local hero nod
Coastguard and ambulance first responder Dave St John has been nominated for a local hero award after nearly a decade of voluntary work on Picton’s emergency frontline.
His was one of eight regional finalists for Kiwibank local hero, awarded in Marlborough on Wednesday night.
After nine years as a Coastguard volunteer and seven with St John’s ambulance, the Picton man he said the most rewarding aspect was watching all crews work together.
‘‘There’s been some particularly tricky rescues that have involved coastguard and air ambulance and often in less than ideal conditions,’’ St John said.
"It often involves a huge amount of logistics and effort from everyone to make that happen and it’s pretty cool when you see it all come together.’’
St John was nominated anonymously for a Kiwibank local hero award. He said he didn’t volunteer to seek recognition, and hoped to encourage more volunteers to join the services.
There were 22 active volunteers for Coastguard, which maintained a 24/7 service and 6 or 7 with the ambulance service – but both crews could do with more.
‘‘It’s a small community and in some respects we’re a little bit isolated,’’ St John said.
‘‘I think it’s part of the New
Zealand culture and we’re a bunch of do-it-yourself-people, so we want to help where we can.’’
He fell into volunteering with
Coastguard nine years ago after a background as a commercial boat skipper. He said their job in Picton was unique, given the isolation of many residents, and he was quickly able to take on more of an ambulance role.
‘‘There’s over 600 houses just in Queen Charlotte Sounds plus the track with walkers, plus the lodges and resorts,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s all water access only, we’re the ambulance, the fire boat, sometimes the police boat as well, and we carry search and rescue teams out there as well.’’
Station manager Tony Cronin told him he may as well sign up as a St John volunteer, as he was always assisting the ambulance crew through his work with Coastguard.
St John also put him through a national diploma to become an emergency medical technician, which allowed him to teach first aid and fire emergency across the top of the south.
His wife Janette also does work for Coastguard and is a fulltime ambulance officer, a position she gained through volunteer work. St John said the opportunity to learn had been a bonus of the job.
‘‘In my mid-50s, as I was when I started that national diploma, the organisation was prepared to put some time and effort into upskilling and training me, which often as you get older is a hard thing to get.’’
But on top of the training, St John says the change to his character has been priceless.
‘‘And I’ve grown a lot as a person through the training I’ve had and the things that I’ve done. You can’t buy that.’’
The national winner for the Kiwibank local hero award would be announced in Auckland next year.