AMBULANCE Victoria’s Wedderburn first responder team has celebrated 20 years of providing pre-hospital emergency care.
It began as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), with the first crew hitting the road on Anzac Day, 2005.
CERTs are made up of volunteer first responders and are located in less populated and more remote areas of the state. CERT members typically work within their local community, so are often first on scene and can provide immediate care until an ambulance arrives.
“Following almost a year of weekly training, the Wedderburn CERT car and pagers went live on Anzac Day 2005,” said paramedic community support co-ordinator Loddon, Josh King.
“The first volunteer crew rostered on was Lisa Barrass and Glenn Thompson. It is truly fitting that 20 years on, Glenn was once again on the roster and responded to a callout whilst being a part of representing the team at the Wedderburn Anzac Day Service.”
In 2016, the team transitioned to an Ambulance Community Officer team.
ACOs are first responders employed on a casual basis, working on-call. They are trained to provide advanced first aid and can transport patients to hospital.
“We have come a long way from where it all began those many years ago. Transitioning from a CERT to an ACO team, getting a stretcher ambulance and our own branch, relocating to a better home in 2021, and now in 2025 being the busiest ACO team in the whole state,” Josh said.
“We are truly blessed to have the experience and wisdom of Glenn, as a founding member of the Wedderburn CERT, as well as Dede-jo Williams, Karen Thompson, Bruce Hargreaves and Reece Carroll who all commenced as CERT members and remain active and integral parts of the Wedderburn ACO team today.”
The Wedderburn first responder team has had several achievements over its two decades of operation, one of the highlights being named Ambulance Victoria’s Loddon Mallee Team of the Year in 2020.
Josh said the team was made up of community heroes.
“This is a team of highly motivated, skilled and passionate individuals, who reflect the true essence of what it is to be a team and a work family,” Josh said. “We have become known as a hub for training the future paramedics of AV with many past and present paramedicine students spending time as a first responder in Wedderburn.
“Every member of the team, past and present, is a community hero and I am so proud and honoured to work alongside each and every one of them.”
Josh said the team was indebted to the efforts of the late Shirley Smith, who was crucial in establishing the CERT 20 years ago. “Shirley was always a strong advocate for ambulance services in the area and was a very active member of the Charlton Ambulance Auxiliary,” Josh said.
“Shirley knew from her personal experiences that the Wedderburn community deserved better ambulance services and lobbied for many years, with other community members, to start a local CERT. “Although Shirley is no longer with us, her spirit, passion and legacy live on in the Wedderburn ambulance team.”
Last year, Wedderburn ACOs Glenn, Dede-jo and Bruce shared stories about their first responder careers after being recognised for AV service milestones in the community.