Join the Team in Green – Volunteer with SA Ambulance

Being a volunteer Ambulance officer has led Amanda Balmer down a path she never expected

In regional South Australia, there’s one uniform that’s quietly heroic — the green one. It’s the outfit worn by our volunteer ambulance officers, and for Amanda Balmer from Peterborough, it’s more than a uniform — it’s been a life-changing opportunity.

Amanda first joined the SA Ambulance Service as a volunteer nine years ago. At the time, she’d just become an enrolled nurse and saw the ambos come through the hospital doors regularly. Curious, and keen to help, she put her hand up. “I thought I’d just help out,” she says, “but it’s led me down a path I never expected.”

Since then, Amanda’s grown in confidence, taken on leadership and clinical care roles, and is now studying paramedicine part-time. She’s a proud ambassador for the service, helping recruit others into the green ranks — because the truth is, many don’t realise our regional ambulance officers are volunteers. Mums. Dads. Grandparents, just country South Aussies who answer 000 calls in their own towns.

“It’s not all dramatic, gory stuff like people think,” Amanda says. “The most common callouts are falls, chest pain, or helping transfer patients to the airstrip. We support palliative patients at home, attend accidents, quite a few motorbikes versus kangaroo — but mostly, we’re just everyday people helping everyday people.”

And while the role is unpaid, the experience is priceless. Volunteers receive full training, starting with the basics — manual handling, stretcher use, and driving. From there, many move into clinical care, with qualifications that can lead to careers in nursing, health and emergency services.

Amanda balances her shifts with family life and work, and uses a pager system to stay on call during 12-hour shifts. She’s also involved in local mental health support, volunteering with Peterborough’s Spring Suicide Prevention Network to help break the stigma around mental illness.

She worries about the future of the service without more volunteers stepping up. “If we don’t have a local crew available, the ambulance has to come from Jamestown or Orroroo. That delay can make a life-altering difference in a crisis.”

But she believes in the power of putting your hand up. “I wasn’t confident when I started. But with the team behind me, I grew. Now I get to give back to my community, meet amazing people, and continue learning.”

Amanda is urging people to consider jointing the team in green – more hands on deck can make a lifesaving difference. To find out more about becoming an SA Ambulance volunteer click here.