Did you know that the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is the fourth largest ambulance service in the world? This staggering fact may come as a surprise to you, given the fact that the entire state of Queensland has a relatively small population of only 4 million people.
To put this into perspective the American state of Texas has 26 million people – more than 6 times the population of Queensland. In fact, 26 out of 50 American states have a population of more than 4 million people. These figures become dwarfed when you consider that the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh has a population of 200,000 million people and yet the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is still larger than that of Uttar Pradesh.
But it is more than just a matter of population when it comes to providing a high level of emergency medical care – land area is a very significant factor. The more area of populated land that you are required to cover increases the need and investment in paramedic personnel and resources.
In the state of Queensland the QAS provides the highest level of emergency transport and medical care across approximately 1.8 million square kilometres. Such an incredible expanse of territory can only be serviced through the use of a variety of vehicles, including fully equipped Mercedes Sprinter Ambulances, modified station wagons, 4WDs and Ford ‘F-Trucks’.
The QAS also has a number of helicopters, used primarily for emergency hospital transfer or for search and rescue services. The Royal Flying Doctor Service and their fleet of fixed wing airplanes work in conjunction with the Queensland Ambulance Service to provide critical paramedic care to those living in regional and rural areas of Queensland.
The QAS currently employs more than 2,700 paramedics stationed on approximately 260 locations throughout Queensland. In addition to their professional workforce, the QAS has trains around 60,000 first aiders each year, providing the people of Queensland with a strong volunteer emergency care network.
These figures alone are a true testament to the remarkable services of the Queensland Ambulance Service and the Queensland Government’s Department of Health, which provides oversight of the QAS. What is not recorded here is the superior quality of care and emergency medical treatment that is provided by the Queensland Ambulance Service.
If you are interested in learning about becoming a paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service, you will find all that you need to know here – Becoming a Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service. Alternatively, you can call a Course Advisor at Australian Paramedical College on 1300 377 741.