Wellington Free Ambulance is close to the hearts of many people across our region. Each year they answer over 151,000 emergency 111 calls and respond to over 51,000 people needing help. Wellington Free helps people we know, people in our family and perhaps even us personally.
Over the past two years our ambulance service, like many areas of healthcare, has seen unprecedented demand as we all continue to feel the impact of the global pandemic. In June they experienced the busiest month on record, with emergency 111 calls reaching 2000 per day and our Wellington Free paramedics responding to over 6,000 jobs in just one month.
As an essential health service, Wellington Free Ambulance receives the majority of funding from Government and ACC but must still raise around $7Million each year from community fundraising to keep the service free.
So now more than ever the support of the community and businesses like Tommy’s is paramount, especially as they mark 95 years of service to the community.
As you would expect the organisation has grown and developed considerably since being established 95 years ago this year. Influenced by population growth, technology, advances in medical treatment, the establishment of paramedicine as a registered profession and the healthcare needs of the community.
Today the service employs around 400 people, both patient facing and support staff. Whilst the emergency ambulance service remains at its core, Wellington Free also provides:
- regional patient transfer service,
- a 24/7 on call rescue squad,
- specially trained tactical emergency medical support team
- the clinical expertise to the regional rescue helicopter and
- a team of over 80 volunteers work regularly as event medics across the region.
Tommy’s association with Wellington Free Ambulance is something that we are very proud to have and to continue into the future for the benefit of everyone in our community. Right now we are focusing our energy towards supporting their biggest fundraising campaign of the year – Onesie Appeal.
Onesie is a fun way for schools, businesses and individuals to raise funds to keep our ambulance service free. At Tommy’s all our agents will be setting up a fundraising page (www.onesieday.co.nz) and then as a team we will be trying to raise as much as we can, with a little healthy competition motivating us along the way.
We challenge other community minded Wellington businesses to do the same – none of us know when we might need the help of Wellington Free, so lets make sure they are there for us, and free of charge for anyone.
We are very fortunate as Wellingtonians to not have to worry about our ability to pay should we need their services and as a local Wellington company, Tommy’s love to help keep it free for the benefit of all. for our fellow Wellingtonians. We believe emergency first response care should be available to everyone, and no-one should be excluded because of cost.
For more information visit onesieday.co.nz or wfa.org.nz
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