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“I don’t think that ANZAC Day should ever be viewed as a glorification of war,” Mark says. “Each and every person that passes is a loss of human potential. The impact of this loss echoes for generations through families and communities. That is the purpose of Anzac Day, to carry forward the lesson, the memory of that terrible cost.”  

As we join in commemorating ANZAC Day this year, we also acknowledge those who currently serve, and the many more who have served in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), including several others from Wellington Free. 

“New Zealand has never again faced an existential threat like that posed by the conflict of the First and Second World wars. There have been times since, that we have entered other conflicts. Over the years the NZDF has earned a reputation of diplomacy and pragmatism that even allied partners struggle to match,” Mark explains.

He continues: “There’s much more to the service than the operational deployments. Every day thousands of members carry out important duties that ensure the security and prosperity of our country. Activities such as fisheries monitoring, search and rescue, disaster relief, and more recently the assistance with lockdowns and managed isolation facilities demonstrates the contributions being made by those service members and their families.”

Asking Mark about his experiences with ANZAC Day, Mark explains that his parents took him to his first dawn service at a small rural cenotaph near school. Later he would join the parades as an Air Cadet, then as a member of the RNZAF.

“It was a privilege to march alongside the veterans and I felt it was important to afford them the proper respect.”

In 2010, Mark says the significance of ANZAC Day was altered forever for him following the loss of three members of the RNZAF in a helicopter crash on the Kāpiti Coast.

“The Defence Force is like a family, what happened that day really stung. Less than a year later we lost another member, and a close friend, also in an accident. In the years that followed several more members of the defence force family were lost, each and every one felt strongly through the service. To me part of ANZAC Day will be forever tied to the memory of those people whether they were lost in combat or not.”

He says the willingness to put aside one’s own comforts and routines to help others is a theme that is shared between serving in the defence force and in an emergency ambulance service. A very common similarity between the two services is the importance of communication and teamwork.

“The common ground between the two organisations was a big part of what drew me towards paramedicine and working for Wellington Free."

Mark has been with Wellington Free since 2018, but has spent the last few months on the road full time after graduating from the paramedicine degree programme.

Looking back on those months, Mark says the ability to turn the hours of practice and late nights studying into a way to really help others, feels amazing.

On the transition from being a student to working on the road full time, Mark says the most significant change is the ability to grow and refine his clinical practice.

“Your time on the road as a student is a precious commodity, and it’s just not possible to see and do everything you need to. It’s been fantastic to be able to start closing the gaps in my skills and knowledge with the help of my preceptor and the Wellington Free team.”

One of the most astounding moments Mark has experienced was the first time he saw a patient survived a cardiac arrest.

“They were getting groceries and suddenly collapsed. Staff members immediately recognised the situation and provided CPR while we were on the way. They used their AED and successfully reverted the patient into a stable rhythm. When we arrived they were regaining consciousness, as we loaded them into the helicopter for the trip to hospital they were fully awake and alert. I have no doubt that the staff at that supermarket saved their life.”

Another memorable event that Mark has experienced is the rare delivery of a baby in the back of an ambulance.

“We had barely pulled away from the address when the baby crowned. I had just enough time to put on clean gloves before the head came, turned, then the baby practically flew from its mother. I’m not known for sporting prowess but that was one catch I wasn’t going to miss! I called out to the paramedic up front whose eyes opened wide when it dawned on them what had happened. It was such a relief when the baby started crying right away and it was clear that all was well.”

“The role challenges you both physically and mentally, and you get a chance to connect with people in a meaningful way every day”.