St John NT will once again play a critical role in keeping competitors, crews and spectators safe at this year’s Finke Desert Race, with a highly skilled team of paramedics and volunteers to be deployed along the remote desert track.
The organisation is sending four intensive care paramedics, 23 paramedics, an emergency medical dispatcher and eight volunteer first aiders, who will be working alongside personnel from St John Ambulance Queensland, defence medics, MRaCC doctors, Royal Flying Doctor Service, NT Police, and the Alice Springs Hospital.
Together, the inter-agency team will deliver emergency care, coordinate remote retrievals, manage traumatic injuries, and help ensure the safety of everyone along the notoriously tough route between Alice Springs and Aputula (Finke).
“Finke is one of the most challenging events on the Territory’s calendar. It is fast, remote, and unpredictable,” said Geoff Bates, St John NT Clinical Services Manager and an Intensive Care Paramedic stationed at Finke.
“Our role at Finke and across the Territory is to respond wherever we're needed, often in difficult conditions, with limited access and high stakes. We’ve supported the Finke Desert Race since its first official run in 1976, but our preparation goes far beyond the track,” Bates said.
“We respond far too often to serious motorcycle crashes on highways, remote roads, private properties. That first-hand experience of situations nobody wants to be in is exactly why St John NT developed its Motorcycle First Aid course: to teach others the practical skills needed to save a life.”
Bates was involved in developing the course, which was designed specifically to manage and treat the injuries commonly seen in riding accidents: fractures, spinal injuries, severe bleeding, and more.
“We created this course to empower riders, their crews, and their loved ones to take action in those crucial first minutes after a crash. The intervention of a family member, friend, or bystander before the ambulance arrives can make all the difference,” Bates said.
“Whether you're out at Finke or planning a ride anywhere across the Territory, this course will give you the skills to save lives.”
To mark this year’s race, from 4 to 20 June St John NT is offering 20% off its Motorcycle First Aid course.
Use the code “FINKE” to access the discount, which is valid for any course date within the next 12 months when booked and paid for during the offer period.
Head to stjohnnt.org.au/courses/mcfa for more information, T&Cs, and to equip yourself with the skills to save a motorcyclist’s life.
ENDS.
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Media Unit
Email: media@stjohnnt.asn.au
Phone: 0428 628 653
