Five well-regarded Ambulance Victoria (AV) personnel have been awarded Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) recipients in this year’s national honours.
The ASM recognises distinguished service by members of Australian ambulance services and is awarded to a select group of outstanding ambulance personnel, as nominated by their peers, each year.
The Australian Honours List acknowledges Australians for their incredible achievements, service and contribution to their communities.
Lindsay Bent – Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedic
Lindsay Bent started his outstanding career as a Victorian paramedic in 1989, and maintains a high level of training and operational skill set as a Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedic.
Currently working as Clinical Lead for Communications Centres across the state, Lindsay has also worked in a range of other complex and rewarding roles across AV over 34 years. These roles span across clinical operations, operational communications, Adult Retrieval Victoria, MICA, and emergency management roles.
His contribution across the organisation has been far-reaching and impactful, always remaining focused on delivering care to Victorian communities.
Barry Curtain – Team Manager
Barry Curtain has made many important contributions since commencing with AV in 2001.
As an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic, Barry has volunteered as a manual handling facilitator for 14 years, and as manual handing coordinator for five years.
From 2009 to 2023, Barry made significant contributions to manual handling and paramedic workplace safety. He authored much of AV’s manual handling policy and procedure, to help reduce risk associated with manual handling activities in the workplace and ensure paramedics are working safely, comfortably and productively when caring for patients.
Barry’s efforts have led to major improvements in equipment and development of safe work practices to prevent paramedic injury.
Barry is currently Team Manager for Bendigo and maintains his training as a specialist paramedic.
Lindsay Mackay – Operational Communications
Lindsay Mackay has worked as a paramedic across the UK and Australia for over 17 years.
Lindsay commenced her paramedicine career with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service within the National Health Service (NHS), and in Australia has worked at St John Ambulance in Western Australia, Queensland Ambulance Service, across New South Wales, and now with Ambulance Victoria where she maintains her training and operational capacity.
In her most recent position as Executive Director Operational Communications, Lindsay has been able to apply her extensive breadth of experience and leadership to support the communication centres, Clinic Transport Service and improve community access to ambulance services through the expansion of Australia’s largest Secondary Triage team.
Throughout Lindsays career she has remained focused on ensuring patients receive the best care for their needs and demonstrating improving health outcomes by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. She has been instrumental in establishing change within AV by developing innovative alternative models of care, through the expansion of AV’s secondary triage services.
Lindsay championed the implementation of a new patient pathway, TelePROMPT, which connected patients with mental health conditions to the care they need through alternative care pathways, avoiding unnecessary transport to an emergency department.
She also supported the implementation of the video triage service, TeleHELP, to allow mental health nurses within triage services to conduct remote face-to-face assessments with patients who have contacted Triple Zero.
Ian Walsh – Ambulance Community Officer (ACO)
Ian Walsh commenced service with AV in 2007 and has since served as an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO) in Charlton.
As a first responder, Ian has always been focused on caring for his community. This was most notably demonstrated by his efforts during the Charlton floods in January 2011, when he spent countless hours working to assist the township.
As a longstanding member of the Charlton Ambulance Team, Ian has been a committed leader and mentored newer team members, supporting and encouraging them to reach their potential.
Ian has always demonstrated a selfless attitude and unbounding commitment to improving the lives and wellbeing of patients and members of the community.
Alan Wilkins – Ambulance Community Officer (ACO)
Alan Wilkins joined AV in 2006 as an inaugural member of the Paynesville Ambulance Team and continues to contribute to his community as an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO).
Alan has made great efforts to contribute to health and emergency education within the Paynesville community through his work as an ACO and a volunteer with the local ambulance auxiliary.
He has helped so many people learn and understand life-saving skills as an educator of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) across a range of community groups. He was instrumental in securing 20 AEDs for the Paynesville community, which is a commendable effort.
Alan provided influential advice and guidance to the isolated Raymond Island community to ensure it had a 24/7 accessible AED in a public location, and within a month this AED was used to successfully defibrillate a patient.
