Gemma celebrated for lifesaving proactivity

FOR twenty years, Ambulance Victoria has been championing people across the state who bravely and selflessly acted to save a friend, family member, neighbour or stranger in an emergency situation.

At this week’s annual Ambulance Victoria Community Heroes Awards, one honouree was close to home, 14-year-old Navigators resident, Gemma Hanrahan.

Gemma received recognition at the ceremony for her proactivity during a farm accident, which saw her father, Dominic experience seizures, after being knocked unconscious by a spooked cow.

Calling 000 and rounding up the cattle, Gemma reduced risks for arriving paramedics and ultimately saved her dad’s life.

“In the moment, it didn’t feel that great, but knowing now that it could have been a very different story, I’m pretty glad that dad’s still alive,” she said.

“The ambulance got here really quickly, and as well as tending to dad, they tended to me, trying to keep me calm and not too overwhelmed.

“The call takers were really good, trying to distract me with questions while we waited.”

Receiving her award, Gemma was pleased to meet other people who had experienced similar high-pressure situations, but it brought back a lot of emotional memories.

“Hearing the phone call again was pretty traumatic. It sounds so easy to just stay calm, but it’s pretty hard,” she said.

“When you’re in a situation like that, you’ve just got to try your best to put your emotions aside and try and save the person’s life because that’s much more important.”

Mr Hanrahan was proud of his daughter for thinking laterally, problem solving and acting “cool under pressure.

“You’d expect an adult might be able to do those things, but for a 14-year-old, that’s a pretty big ask,” he said.

His following experience with the ambulance service was “fantastic.

“I’d particularly like to thank Dan and Charlene, the ambulance drivers that attended on the day. They did a great job of looking after me and Gemma as well, the first aider at the time,” Mr Hanrahan said.

Ambulance Victoria CEO, associate professor Tony Walker, said the Community Heroes Awards acknowledged ordinary people doing the extraordinary.

“The reality is that members of the public are often at the scene before paramedics arrive and their actions in those crucial early minutes can be the difference between a positive outcome and a poor one,” he said.