Terry Marshall reckons he hasn’t stopped learning despite being with Ambulance Victoria (AV) for 37 years.
Terry, Barwon South West’s regional director, joined the service in August 1985 after a knee injury saw him require a ride in the back of an ambulance.
Then a Ford apprentice, he had a lightbulb moment that set him on the path to become a paramedic.
“When I first joined the service, you got a job and you drove people to hospital, there were no drugs or a cardiac monitor, pagers or portable radios,” the Leopold resident said.
“Today we bring the care and treatment to the patient – we’ve evolved from a very basic
level of care to one of the most advanced life support paramedic models in the world. This is further supported by our Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics.”
Terry has gone on to an acclaimed career which has included helping develop a specialist program for MICA paramedics.
His hard work was acknowledged when he was named a recipient of an Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) in the 2020 Australia Day honours.
Terry has held a number of roles at AV across the state, starting in Sale, then Melbourne, holding senior roles in the Metropolitan and Grampians regions and is now based in Geelong overseeing the Barwon South West region.
“I work for one of the best ambulance services in the world,” he says.
“Ambulance Victoria is part of the broader health care system, the community recognises this and expects the best of care to be delivered with every patient we manage.”
Born and raised in Geelong, the father of three girls he shows no signs of slowing down and finds the job as rewarding as he did when he started.
“I really admire the people I work with and I am proud of the care that our paramedics provide,” he says.
“I love hearing how someone’s life has been saved or changed by our paramedic’s care, intervention, and professionalism.”
In 2008 Terry received a commendation for brave conduct.
“I remember pulling a man from a burning car that I just happened to be driving by days before Christmas,” he says.
“There are many things that stay with you throughout their career and this was one of them.
“He was a father of four and I often think about how different that Christmas could have been for that family had I not stopped.”
