Group to choose ambulance base soon

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 591, 20 June 1995, Page 1

Group to choose ambulance base soon

The Order of St John has established a committee in the Waimarino area to coordinate its activities and its first major job is to provide a base for the area's ambulance service. Although the Order had been in recess for five years, two members have still been active, attending sports meetings as first aiders. Now the Order has taken over providing the ambulance service to the Waimarino district the Order has been taken out of recess and a new committee has been formed to ran the Order, At a meeting on Wednesday 7 June the first task discussed was the building of an ambulance station for the area and the best site. A number of possible sites are available in the area and the committee is to look at them over the next few weeks before a decision is made. The committee will be holding monthly meet-

ings, with full support from Iona Orr, chief executive West Coast North Island, Greg Phillips, ambulance service executive, Graham Curtis, community services executive and Harold Wynn, chairman West Coast North Island. The chairman is Bob Peck, secretary Sue King, treasurer Pat Berry . The committee members are Bill Crawford, June Mosen, Karen Hawke, Stu Haitana, Phillip Beer, Neil Lietz, Noel LeNoel, Claude Berry, Ben Goddard, Sharlene Winiata, and Rainer Winiata. Anyone can join the Order of St John, said a committee representative. They do not have to be involved in the administration or fundraising unless they wish to but it gives them a right to vote at an annual general meeting as well as being able to voice their concerns. The subscription is $7. An ambulance scheme is also available at a cost of $30 annualiy for a family (this includes children under 18 living at the same address). The normal

cost to an ambulance user is at least $45 each time but when you have joined the ambulance scheme no further costs will be incurred if an ambulance is required. . For every person who is in the scheme in this area $4.50 stays in the local area. This scheme would be a considerable financial help to

a family where a member has a chronic illness

and an ambulance could be required on a

regular basis. Forms for joining the

Order of St John ambulance

scheme are available from the

doctors and chemist both

in Raetihi or Ohakune,

the Raetihi Infor-

mation Cen-

tre or

from

the ambulance officers. ^