Calling time after 41 years on the frontline

After an outstanding 41 years caring for Victorians both on the road and in the sky, yesterday Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedic Rob Blaikie completed his final shift with Ambulance Victoria.

While four decades in one organisation may seem unthinkable to some, from the moment he started working in paramedicine, Rob knew it would be his lifelong career.

“I’ve just always enjoyed being able to help people and I feel blessed to have had a job where the public are glad to see you and go out of their way to thank you for what you do,” he said.

“I also enjoyed constantly learning – even at the end of my career I was still updating my skills which kept my mind active and engaged.

“I’ve loved it from the very beginning, and I’ve never thought of moving on to something else.”

Despite his love for paramedicine, Rob said he ultimately “fell into it” after originally studying teaching, only discovering his interest in health when helping a nursing student learn their curriculum.

“I found what they were learning really interesting and quickly realised I was more interested in their work than my own,” he said.

“I then ran into a paramedic at the gym and after asking more about the job, decided to stop pursuing teaching and apply.”

Of 3,000 applicants, Rob was one of just 16 people selected to undergo training at the East Melbourne Ambulance Officer Training Centre.

“We completed around six weeks of training before we went out on road with clinical instructors. It was a baptism of fire back in those days,” Rob said.

“It was more like an apprenticeship with us learning on road and in hospitals, so you knew within the first few weeks if you wanted to do the job or not, and I knew it was where I belonged.

“Within my first two weeks I had been to my first cardiac arrest, fatal pedestrian incident, shooting and overdose. We really did see everything.”

After doing his training and working from the Caulfield branch, Rob completed his MICA course in 1992 and moved to the MICA 2 branch near The Alfred Hospital, which had a reputation as a stepping stone to Air Ambulance Victoria.

This proved true for Rob and in 1996 he started with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) based at Essendon Airport.

“I wanted to work at the highest clinical standard which was being a MICA Flight Paramedic,” he said.

“I loved the flying but it’s very intense work managing very ill patients often with multiple transfusions running.

“I did a lot of transfers in the helicopter and fixed wing plane, sometimes with patients from interstate.”

After two years, Rob returned to the road as a MICA based at Central branch in the city.

While he loved the work, it was a challenging time to be a paramedic in the city, with heroin use at its peak exposing Rob to some difficult environments.

Most recently, Rob worked as a MICA paramedic in the Moorabbin area.

Although there have been some trying cases over the past four decades, Rob said there have also been some remarkable survival stories that have stayed with him, including an 18-year-old with no cardiac rhythm who, against all odds, made a full recovery.

Rob has also witnessed the ambulance service evolve over the years, including the introduction of Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics and updated clinical practices such as the introduction of rapid sequence intubation – a procedure that sedates and paralyses critically ill patients so MICA paramedics can support their airway.

With experience as a team manager and clinical support officer under his belt, Rob has played a role in helping shape the next generation of Ambulance Victoria paramedics, while also making many lasting friendships.

“Retiring is bittersweet because I’ve met so many wonderful people and made friends with so many people who I know will be in my life forever,” he said.

“When I first started in ambulance, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the job and that’s still true to this day. It’s been so great, but now it’s time for my next adventure.”