Bourke Street Incident

This presentation is part of Trauma on the Border 2019

Synopsis: Sadly, Melbourne is not new to Mass Casualty Incidents with Hoddle Street in 1987, resulting in 7 deaths and 19 serious injuries followed 4 months later by the Queens Street shooting where 9 people died and 5 people injured. On 20 January 2017, around 13:30, a car was driven into pedestrians in the CBD of Melbourne. Six people were killed and at least thirty others wounded, three of whom sustained critical injuries. The driver of the vehicle, Dimitrious Gargasoulas, was subsequently found guilty of six counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 46 years. This presentation outlines the response by Ambulance Victoria to Bourke Street and the logistical challenges faced with an MCI spread over several city blocks. It also discusses some of the staff welfare strategies provided by AV in the days following the event.

Biography: Greg’s ambulance career spans 40 years with 30 years as a MICA Paramedic. He is currently a Group Manager with Ambulance Victoria and has also held positions with QAS as Co-ordinator of the ICP program and Ambulance Tasmania as Supervisor Tactical Operations.

He has worked for QBE Insurance for over 25 years as a Flight paramedic doing international medical retrievals. He is also a Senior Medical Educator for the RACGP in their Clinical Emergency Management Program.

Presentation slides are available below under "Lesson 2", once you have enrolled in this course.

Group Manager with Ambulance Victoria. Previously Coordinator of ICP Program with QAS and Supervisor Tactical Operations with Ambulance Tasmania.