Ambulance Active Spring 2011Published By Countrywide Austral

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PROFILE HEADER Ambulance Employees Association WA Vice President Donelle Carver Experienced WA paramedic Donelle Carver has held the position of Ambulance Employees Association WA (AEAWA) Vice President since 2009, a position once dominated by men in an industry where she believes work place issues are still centred around male employees. Donelle’s interest in unions, and industrial issues, stems from her childhood. Raised in Manly, NSW, Donelle’s father was the Plumbers Union Shop Steward at Jervois Bay, where she spent many days watching her father resolve, and sometimes create, issues – depending on what was happening. Before moving to WA, Donelle worked as a hairdresser in the leafy Sydney suburb of Mosman where she dealt with the bayside elite. A trip west was an ideal time to explore the world and what else it had to offer. On arrival in the capital city, she stumbled across an advertisement for non-emergency transport officers with the Ambulance Service WA. Her application was successful and the new job opened her eyes to the world of a paramedic, and emergency care. It was a career she became determined to pursue. Donelle was accepted into the Paramedic Science Degree at Edith Cowan University. In addition to studying and raising two young children, she continued working weekends as a transport officer. She described entering university as a mature aged student and mother being made somewhat easier through union activity, where advocators had successfully negotiated generous maternity and paternity leave options that enabled her to do it all. In January 2006, Donelle entered the Ambulance Service Induction School and was on-road in May of that year. Shortly after commencing, she was rostered with John Thomas, the current President of the AEAWA and a 30 year veteran of the industry. “It was unbelievable the knowledge and input that John had in the day-to-day operations of the service,” she said. “For a period of time I thought I was his personal assistant there were that many calls coming to the station and the vehicle, it was endless.” It was this interaction that sparked Donelle’s interest in the union. After three years working alongside John, Donelle decided it was time to step-up, get involved and take control of the direction of her future. Following her graduation from Edith Cowan University, Donelle was invited to become involved with future development of the Bachelor course. She was also asked to sit on the Flinders Steering group, which reviews all university based courses associated with the industry. Since being elected Vice President of the AEAWA, she has become an activist for female conditions in the service, Enterprise Agreement negotiator, and representative for transport officers. Donelle has received many accolades for her involvement in the industry and recently won a Bravery Award for a call, which at her own initiative, orchestrated the rescue and retrieval of a critical young man from a well. Donelle recently travelled to Kununurra, in the far north of WA as a relief rural remote paramedic to examine the role and see the problems or positives associated with this role. A report has been forwarded to management with a range of recommendations for change. Donelle has also become involved with the National Council of Ambulance Unions through her association with the AEAWA and continues to be involved with issues that affect paramedics on a national basis. Read Donelle’s article about her posting in Kununurra on page 24. 10 AMBULANCE ACTIVE SPRING 2011
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