RELATED: Injured skier rescued from Mt Bogong
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A WANGARATTA paramedic who developed a model for alpine rescues used it yesterday to help get an injured man off Mount Bogong.
Ian Hunt was recognised just last week for his four-part rescue model known as “wilderness response capability”.
The Ambulance Victorian Central Hume Group manager received an award at the Council of Ambulance Authorities annual conference in Darwin.
The model identifies a standard for paramedics reaching patients in areas of wilderness where they can’t use vehicles.
It involves understanding the alpine environment and how to respond to it, training and creating backpacks with the appropriate lightweight equipment and gear.
Mr Hunt, a paramedic of 25 years’ experience, said the award recognised the hard work of local paramedics and managers.
“If a patient is in the Victorian alps in an area inaccessible by vehicle, our paramedics need suitable portable equipment to get them safely to the patient’s side, while reducing their exposure to injury and fatigue,” he said.
“This model allows them to carry the appropriate equipment and medical needs for a patient and paramedic to survive in a wilderness area overnight.”
Mr Hunt received the technical capability award on behalf of the Hume region.
“The recognition gained means other states with similar wilderness cases could follow our approach to develop or enhance their own response,” he said.
“This is a model which could be adopted by services covering remote and wilderness areas,” one of the judges said.