Andrew Thomas

Director of Ambulance Services, St John NT

I started my career as a volunteer in South Australia in 1989. I was working as a carpenter at the time, and before long I was spending more hours per week volunteering as an ambulance officer than I was with my carpentry apprenticeship.

After two years as a volunteer ambulance officer, I was fortunate enough to be recruited to a full-time position in ambulance in early 1991, which marked the beginning of a lifelong career.

Throughout my career I have expanded my scope of practice through a range of roles, including as a paramedic, an Intensive Care Paramedic, Special Operations Rescue Paramedic, communications officer, and working as an ICP at Uluru in the Northern Territory for the RFDS.

In 2008, I progressed into the management side of ambulance services and have worked as a team leader, operations manager, regional director and as the Director of Ambulance with St John NT since 2019, while always maintaining my on-road qualifications.

I can honestly say that in my 35 years of delivering care in ambulance, there has not been a day that I haven't woken up looking forward to going to work. Paramedics have the most amazing job where we make a positive impact on people's lives in what can often be one the worst day of their life.

As well as intensive care qualifications and management studies, I’ve also completed a Bachelor of Nursing, which has expanded my understanding of the health system and my approach to patient care.

I really enjoy my career as a paramedic and look forward to supporting future paramedics to enter the profession and expand the horizons of the role into alternative pathways to deliver care in new and exciting ways.