A spike in homicides in Auckland City is nothing to be worried about, says Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, as a new meth capital of the country is revealed and wild weather looms.
Auckland councillor Chris Darby was forced to play a key role in a remote emergency rescue, driving Hato Hone St John responders who he said were “lost and given incorrect directions”.
Darby said he was shifting farm stock at his Northland property on Friday afternoon when he came across an ambulance that appeared lost and stuck on its way to a code-red incident.
Code red is described on the Hato Hone St John website as immediately life-threatening or time-critical.
“They were lost, having been given the wrong directions ... I guided them two kilometres over an unmaintained council road to 600 metres short of Pareparea.”
Darby said he then had to drive the team in his own vehicle to the remote Pareparea beach where the stroke victim was located.
Chris Darby drove a first response team to a stroke victim in his own all-terrain car. Photo / Dean Purcell
“The ambulance was not a four-wheel drive and could not proceed further due to off-road conditions.
“In my all-terrain vehicle I raced through to locate where on Pareparea the stroke victim was. They were at the northern end. I returned to the ambulance staff, who then requested a helicopter due to inaccessibility.
“This took time due to poor reception. Local first responders use reliable comms.
“I took one ambo with an emergency backpack and fold-up stretcher to the beach in my vehicle. The other had to stay with the ambulance, being a requirement of St John and inability to communicate to get clearance to leave the ambulance.”
Darby said the response should have taken 10 minutes but it took an hour and a half.
He said the local first responders would have been quicker because they know the area.
Chris Darby calls out delayed emergency response. Photo / Chris Darby
When the Herald asked Whananaki Fire Chief Barney Bennett why his team hadn’t been the first to attend, he said response delays are due to “frustrating” communication issues at St John’s Auckland call centre.
His team was only five minutes away but wasn’t called.
He claimed his team is supposed to be called to anything code orange and above.
The Whananaki team hasn’t been getting calls to serious events when they should have been, Bennett said.
He said St John had told him the issue was caused by “operator error” in the call centre.
“We would much rather be called to everything so we don’t miss any potentially serious events.”
Another Whananaki volunteer firefighter - who the Herald agreed not to name - said, “We are just 5-10 minutes over the hill, we should’ve been called.
“Our response times are literally life and death.”
They said Whananaki firefighters are trained as medical first responders.
Hato Hone St John said they were notified of a medical incident at Pareparea Beach at 11:33 on Friday and responded with one ambulance and one helicopter to the scene.
“Our crews assessed and treated one patient who was airlifted to Northland Base hospital in a critical condition.”
St John has contacted the Northland team for further details of the response.
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