David Booth, long-serving central Victorian paramedic, commended for service

Twenty-seven – the number of babies he’s delivered.

Mr Booth was this year recognised for more than his response to the health emergencies Victorians experience.

He was instrumental to the development of Ambulance Victoria’s driver standards program, and continues to ensure the state’s paramedics have top-notch skills when they’re behind the wheel.

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The idea was born of driver education training services Mr Booth and a mate, who has since retired, used to offer outside of work.

Mr Booth said Ambulance Victoria recognised an opportunity to apply those skills in a work setting. By his employer’s admission, there was little or no standard for driver education within the organisation at the time.

“This is all about workplace safety. That’s a very important role,” Mr Booth said.

He said he had put other aspirations aside to dedicate himself to the work.

Ambulance Victoria chief executive, Associate Professor Tony Walker said the work Mr Booth had done had fundamentally changed the way the organisation approached driver training and fleet safety.

“This standard is observed world-wide with some envy, thanks largely to David’s tireless efforts and research,” an Ambulance Victoria statement said.

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Mr Booth developed the organisation’s four-wheel-drive off-road drivers’ package.

“Not only has he proved himself as a first-class educator of driver training, he supported his local community of Charlton in north-west Victoria by delivering clinical training to volunteer Ambulance Community Officers and Community Emergency Response Teams,” the Ambulance Victoria statement said.

Mr Booth was one of seven recipients of the 2019 Ambulance Service Medal, announced on Australia Day. 

“I’m still a bit shell-shocked. Flabbergasted,” he said.

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