About Us

Late last year, Hamish was offered a position on the Graduate Internship programme at Wellington Free and has not looked back.

Both his confidence and skills have grown immensely since joining the team; enabling him be a more present and greater help in his community.

“I knew Wellington Free was a great organisation to work for so to now be part of such a high-calibre team is definitely an incentive to keep learning. There's always a job that I find interesting or want to learn more about so I can do better next time; the learning never stops,” Hamish says.

Though Hamish is primarily based in the Wairarapa, he’s a familiar face across the region and is always there to lend a hand.

"I've found it pretty interesting being out on the road. Working in the Wairarapa presents very different challenges as opposed to in and around Wellington. 

“Jobs when I've had to rely on myself and my colleague because we were in the middle of nowhere with limited backup are a real test and have definitely taught me to be more focused and resourceful.” 

Hamish works under the watchful eyes of preceptor and Extended Care Paramedic Sam, who has been at Wellington Free since 2011.

“He's great to work with and has a huge range of skills, due to his background as an extended care paramedic. That means he always has really useful bits of knowledge that weren't part of my training,” Hamish says. 

“The rest of the team are vastly experienced so it was a bit daunting to be around them at first. However, they've been really supportive and have so much knowledge to pass on to newbies like me.”

Right now, Hamish is working on extending his experience on the road.

“There's only so much you can learn while volunteering or studying, so now that I have a full time mentor, I can actively work on specific skills and knowledge over time.”

Looking for a change and want to make a difference in your community? Find your calling at Wellington Free Ambulance! We’d love you to join us!

For people wanting to join Wellington Free, Hamish says "good on you for starters!"

"It's a fantastic opportunity to become part of Wellington’s integral emergency ambulance service. Also, with all the trials and research going on, Wellington Free is constantly changing and leading the way for the emergency ambulance service in New Zealand and worldwide." 

For Hamish the main thing that keeps him going is the fact that he, along with his colleagues are actually making a difference in people's lives. 

“Whether it be rescuing them from a car accident or identifying an infection, we have the privilege of coming into people's lives and making it better.”

We have a wide range of volunteer and career opportunities available throughout the region, check out wfa.org.nz/vacancies to find more.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].