Wellington Free Ambulance / How You Can Help

Help us Build the Wellington Regional Ambulance Station!

Wellington Free Ambulance is pleased to announce an exciting new project in 2010 - the building of a new ambulance station for the people of greater Wellington. Construction has just began on the new Wellington Regional Ambulance Station, to be built on the grounds of Wellington Regional Hospital in Newtown.

The ambulance station – the first of its kind in New Zealand – will be home to both frontline and patient transfer ambulances and their paramedic crews, allowing Wellington Free Ambulance to provide an unprecedented level of patient care to the greater Wellington community.

This new eco-friendly facility is a unique and exciting opportunity for us; not only will its location allow our paramedics to provide a faster and more efficient ambulance service to the region, it opens up opportunities for new training and patient care initiatives.

Most importantly, it allows Wellington Free Ambulance to continue responding to over 48,000 emergencies each year in the greater Wellington area, as the region’s sole emergency ambulance provider. More information about WFA and its role in the community can be found here.

Click here if you would like to help support the construction of this new facility for the greater Wellington people.

Timings and Construction

Construction of this station is set to begin in August 2010, with the facility fully operational by February 2011. Mainzeal Ltd is the construction company who has successfully tendered to build our new station.

An Eco-Friendly Facility

Wellington Free Ambulance has taken an eco-friendly approach to the development of this new facility, including the following initiatives:

- Skylights will allow in natural light and reduce lighting costs;

- The roof has also been designed to collect rainwater – this water can then be utilised when washing the frontline ambulances;

- The interior lights are motion-activated at night, meaning that they will only be on when they need to be on;

- Composite cladding on the building exterior – with the cladding remaining its natural colour - means that no ongoing maintenance (such as painting) will be required;

- The living quarters are fully insulated / double-glazed to retain heat and reduce heating bills;

Benefits to the Community

- The location of this facility means that Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics will be able to respond faster and more efficiently to emergency callouts - as every second counts, this can mean the difference between life and death in some emergency situations;

- Its location within the grounds of Wellington Regional Hospital (beside the Emergency Department) also provides opportunities for new patient care initiatives to be launched, including a proposed 'Urgent Community Care' trial for Wellington. A trial for this initiative - the first of its kind in New Zealand - was launched last year in the Kapiti region and has been a resounding success to date;

- The proximity of this station to the hospital will also allow WFA to establish a joint training exercise with the hospital staff - entitled HERC (Health Education & Research Collaborative), this initiative will raise the level of medical training provided to frontline paramedics, resulting in improved performance when attending to patients in an emergency.

Funding this new Facility

Thanks to the Capital & Coast District Health Board, WFA has secured this premium site on the grounds of Wellington Regional Hospital as a 'peppercorn rental' - ie. on a $1 per year site lease.

It is anticipated that the construction of this new ambulance station - the first to be built by Wellington Free Ambulance in the past 9 years - will costs in excess of $2.4 million to build. Of this cost, WFA is seeking to fundraise a minimum of $1 million from the greater Wellington community to build this new facility.

To make this new station a reality, we need your help – it is only with your continued support that we can build the Wellington Regional Ambulance Station and continue to make a positive difference to the lives of Wellingtonians.

Click here if you would like to help support the construction of this new facility for the greater Wellington people.