Our people: Paramedic Mike France

Paramedic Mike France. Photo/Stephen Parker

"It's an amazing job, what more can be said?"

What more can be said indeed about the work of a paramedic?

It's one of those fields of expertise that traditionally rates highly in the "most trusted profession" stakes.

It's also low key, with ambos being the types who shun publicity it's been hard yakker persuading even one of them to come out of the shadows.

It was knowing Mike France in a previous incarnation gave that Our People a cheeky in.

But it still took the power of persistent persuasion to get him to chat, when he does it's with tight strictures on what he can say about the publicity-shy organisation and its workings.

Mike's pride in belonging to St John and its people-centred work encapsulates this self-defined "people person'' with a commitment to his community and almost a lifetime's dedication to ambulance-related work.

"Growing up the police or St John was my goal."

His first link with St John was when, at 13, he became a cadet in Tokoroa.

"A mate talked me into it."

By 17 he was a youth officer guiding others through their life skills badges. At 20 he received a Grand Prior's award, the St John equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. None's gone to Tokoroa since.

He's now in his late 40s with a personal and professional portfolio packed with paramedic-related roles, including delivering St John marae-based education programmes and crewing on board the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter.

That its future is in jeopardy is something Mike's not permitted to comment on, but he does admit he has his own views. Who doesn't?

We move to a subject less taboo, his life and times.

Matamata was his birthplace, with sharemilker parents there were several moves before they settled near Tokoroa.

"I left school really unsure what I wanted to do, the Labour Department found me an apprenticeship with a Tokoroa jeweller and watchmaker, it was three years of onsite training and correspondence courses."

St John still appealed, he became an ambulance auxiliary crew volunteer "going to sporting events, A&P shows, I guess being a Zambuck's where I cut my teeth".

The work embraced Enduro Motocross forest rides and Supercross events.

"Tokoroa introduced Supercross to the country, international riders came for the Nitro Circus, their stunts meant multiple thrills and spills with me in the centre as the first aider."

In 1994 Mike had a thrill of a different kind, son Jessie-James was born, almost overnight he became a going-it-alone dad with regular work hours a necessity.

"Very sadly I resigned from St John."

Two months after Jessie-James' arrival he transferred to Rotorua as GemTime Jewellers assistant manager.

With what can only be a gross understatement he describes being a solo father and holding down a fulltime job as "very challenging personally and financially".

He'd been two years in the jewellery shop when he was shoulder-tapped to cross Hinemoa St to join this newspaper's sister publication, Rotorua Weekender, as an advertising rep, ultimately becoming its advertising manager.

The job brought him something approaching cult status, pictorially promoting the Friday giveaway with as many poses as imaginations could stretch to.

"There was one where I was astride a Harley, in another I was popping up out of a manhole, I guess the one that's stuck in people's minds was me walking naked down the road with the word 'censored' plastered across my bum, that took a lot of camera manipulation. I go to callouts now and people recognise me from those days."

Talk of his torso brings us to his passion for body art; as a child tattoos fascinated him, he now has 15. "They're extremely addictive."

Native Americans are his most constant theme.

"I'm not a religious person by any means but I've always had a spiritual connection to these people."

His Weekender-Post years spanned a decade "then this opportunity came along to become a builder's labourer for our house at Waikite Valley".

The "our" incorporates partner of 13 years Katrina Martin. Labouring gave him more free time, St John area manager pounced, press-ganging him back into the volunteer fold.

Completing his national diploma in ambulance practice, he's been a permanent staffer since 2008.

This is where we get the "this is a wonderful job" quote we opened with.

"Being a paramedic's a privilege, no two jobs are the same, we can go from delivering a baby where I'm this total stranger sharing such a wonderful experience, to being with grieving families when a loved one's died."

There's one baby's arrival that'll be a "forever" memory.

Son Dakota, now 5, was born on the side of Tumunui Rd with his dad and a St John volunteer at the business end of his delivery.

"It was an absolute miracle that Katrina conceived, we'd tried IVF, failed, then suddenly she was pregnant. She hadn't reached her due date when she rang me on night shift saying she was in labour. I said 'first babies take ages', went to a job at Lynmore and she called again, her waters had broken.

"Our patient was amazing, she said what she had was minor in comparison, I called another crew to take over and we sped out there [Waikite Valley]. Ten minutes back into town the little bugger arrived, it's a great story for his 21st."

Not all Mike's stories are so joyous. He was Johnny-on-the spot and off duty when 12 teenagers in a van crashed near Rainbow Mountain.

"I was almost home from a conference in Australia, came across this road block, a fire officer said "there's a horrific crash ahead", bodies were strewn all over the road, all we could do was comfort them until my colleagues arrived."

Like all paramedics, death and horror scenes are dealt with "far too often".

Drunk drivers make his blood boil. "The carnage they can cause is just plain selfish".

Talking with Mike hammers home that "ambos" are as susceptible as their patients to injury. He's presently on light duties, waiting for an operation on the rotator cuff he wrecked lifting heavy work equipment.

"I now know for sure health professionals make by far the worst patients ... if there's one thing this job's taught me it's life's short, enjoy every day."

MIKE FRANCE
Born: Matamata, 1970
Education: Waharoa, Broadlands Primaries, North School, Tokoroa, Tokoroa Intermediate and High.
Family: Partner Katrina Martin, sons Jessie-James, 24, Dakota, 5. "His name reflects my interest in America's native people."
Interests: Family, St John. "Our lifestyle block". Board member 19 years, 14 chairing Central Kids Kindergarten and Early Learning Centre Trust overseeing 48 kindys and 8 early learning centres from Tairua to Taumarunui with a $25 million budget "$5 million when I started". Former chairman Life Education, Rotorua. "All health-awareness education". "My man shed, working with my hands gives me time to get away form the realities of work."
On his life: "Its been fun."
On drunk divers: "Don't do it."
Personal philosophy: "Grab hold of challenges and turn them into opportunities."