Ben and Dayna SAAS Volunteers

15/09/2026

Team work makes the dream work 🚑🤝🚒

Recently, we took our training outdoors with a scenario night at Kuitpo Forest, working alongside the Meadows CFS team to put our skills to the test in a different environment.

Training in an outdoor setting brings a whole new range of considerations. We had to think beyond our clinical care and consider things such as temperature management, environmental exposures, lighting, location and access, as well as how we could safely extricate our patients from the scene to the ambulance.

This is where working alongside other emergency services becomes so important. SAAS and CFS can work together to help make challenging scenes safer, coordinate resources and most importantly, work towards the best possible outcome for our patients and the communities we serve 💚

A huge thank you to our scenario facilitators and the Meadows Country Fire Service for such a fantastic night, as well as Dean from Forestry SA and the team from TreeClimb Kuitpo for allowing us to utilise the area.

Across rural South Australia, many volunteer stations take the opportunity to run unique training scenarios like these. It isn't always about refreshing our clinical skills - sometimes it is about preparing for the logistical challenges that come with working in different environments, accessing patients in difficult locations and working seamlessly alongside other emergency services.

And honestly, it makes a part of what makes volunteering so rewarding 🙌 Every training night brings something different, whether you are refreshing skills you have used before or learning something completely new. There is plenty of teamwork, plenty of laughs, and plenty of opportunities to grow self-confidence and together as a crew 🚑💚

Because when the real call comes, it is not just about knowing what to do - it is about being ready to work together, wherever our community needs us.

If you’ve ever thought about giving back to your community, there has never been a better time to start your journey with the SA Ambulance Service! Check out saambulance.sa.gov.au/volunteer-with-us/ , where you can find more information about joining your local team and make a difference ✨

31/08/2026

Whilst we are on station, there is always something to do.

From tending to the garden and cleaning equipment, to sorting cupboards and tackling those little jobs that always seem to pop up, we take pride in making our station feel a little more like home 🏡

Of course, no station task is complete without plenty of laughs and usually a bit of karaoke to someone's questionable Spotify playlist... 🎶😂

Being a volunteer ambulance clinician is about so much more than responding to callouts. It is about being part of a team, taking pride in a place we call 'home away from home', and helping ensure we are always ready to support our community when we are needed most.

As the 'Team in Green', we are proud to celebrate the International Year of Volunteers, but we are also proud to be part of our local community: gentle giants in community emergency healthcare, always ready to respond when the call comes 💚

Because behind every clean cupboard, freshly tended garden and questionable karaoke performance is a team of passionate volunteers, ready to be there for our community at any given anytime.

🚑 https://saambulance.sa.gov.au/volunteer-with-us/

05/08/2026

👋 We may have been a little MIA on the socials over the past month, but don't worry - we are still here!

July was a huge month for Ben and I (Dayna), with an equally busy start to August. Between the two of us, we have travelled far and wide across South Australia, spending time in Meadows, Keith, Kangaroo Island and the northern communities of South Australia 🚙

While we were on the road, the volunteering certainly didn't stop. One of the things we love most about volunteering with SAAS is the flexibility it offers. Even when travelling, we can jump on shift at another station and continue providing the same professional care and support to local communities, no matter where we are in the state 🤝

It's been great to meet other SAAS volunteers, experience different stations, and support communities beyond our home station. Every shift brings something different, and every station has its own unique team and stories to share.

Although we have been a little quieter online lately, we've certainly been keeping busy behind the scenes, and we are looking forward to sharing more of our SAAS Volunteering journey with you! 🚑💚

01/07/2026

Although the campaign has winded down, we certainly won’t be! We will still be about on the socials here on our page, of everything SAAS Volunteering! 💚🚑

As our Team in Green recruitment drive winds down, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who applied to volunteer with SAAS.

To those who signed up — thank you for raising your hand!

To those who have started training —welcome, and we thank you for choosing to make a difference.

Your willingness to donate time, energy, and care means more than you know.

This may be the end of the campaign, but it’s just the beginning of the impact you’ll create.

25/06/2026

Do you live in rural or remote SA 🌾, where your community is supported by SAAS volunteers, and keen to know what is involved of being part of the ‘Team in Green’?

Join us TONIGHT for our FREE Volunteer Information Session, where both Ben and I (Dayna) are panel speakers, alongside Claire and Stuey, talking about all SAAS volunteering!

Register today to see a glimpse of what it is like to volunteer with SAAS, the benefits you will gain, and what you can expect from being part of the ‘Team in Green’.

This online session is a great opportunity to ask questions, hear our unique experiences and most importantly, apply to become SAAS Volunteer and be part of something bigger than yourself 🙌

🔗 Click the link below to learn more and reserve your spot for tonight’s session!

https://saambulance.sa.gov.au/vis2026

24/06/2026

Saturday was an absolute blast as emergency services personnel from across South Australia came together at Adelaide Oval for the AFL Emergency Services Round, where the Adelaide Crows took on the Melbourne Demons! 🏉

The day was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the vehicles, equipment and capabilities that help us serve our communities every day, while also having a bit of fun and grabbing a few photos along the way 📸

It was great to see so many smiles throughout the day (including plenty from us!), highlighting the strong connection between emergency services and the South Australians we are proud to serve 🤝 Whether career staff or volunteers, we all share the same commitment - being there when our communities need us most.

I really enjoyed chatting with the many people who stopped by East Gate to learn more about our Ambulances seen day-to-day on South Australian roads, while others explored the Tactical Support Truck and Polaris displays around Adelaide Oval. Seeing so much curiosity and interest in what we do made the day even more rewarding ✨

A huge thank you to everyone who came over for a chat and helped make the day such a success. Opportunities like these are a great reminder of the incredible people, teamwork and community spirit that exist across all emergency services within South Australian communities!

10/06/2026

27/05/2026

Last night at team training, I was recognised for 3 years of service as a volunteer with SAAS - and looking back, it is hard to believe just how much has happened in that time.

Having done 1 year in Keith, and the last 2 years in Meadows, this journey has most certainly been rewarding one:

🕓 Countless hours of training + workshops
🚑 Countless volunteer shift hours
🎤 Endless laughs on station (+ singing to music)
🏆 Receiving the SAAS Clinical Excellence Award in 2025
👪 And most importantly, building friendships that have truly become family.

Throughout every callout, the long days, late nights, and every learning opportunity, one thing has never changed - the passion to help the communities in South Australia, no matter where I am.

Reflecting on these last 3 years makes me incredibly proud of how far I’ve come, not only as a SAAS volunteer, but as a person. Next goal (that is not very far away): completing my Certificate IV in Health Care, to become an Ambulance Officer.

It also really rewarding to see other team members follow the same journey, with both Aaron and Steve tonight having also receiving their AA and AR certificates respectively, and seeing their confidence build 👏

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering with SAAS, back yourself and give it a go. You never know where the journey might take you ✨

18/05/2026

📆 Today marks a very special time in the calendar for volunteers everywhere...

Not just within SA Ambulance Service, but across all emergency services, sporting clubs, country show committees, community groups, and everything in between - today marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week, made even more meaningful during the International Year of Volunteers.

Here within SAAS, volunteers make up just under half of the workforce across all communities and regions throughout South Australia. They are ordinary people with extraordinary skills, with busy lives, families, work commitments, and responsibilities - and yet still choose to give their time to help others when their community needs it most 👏

For us here at Meadows, and at many stations across the state, volunteering becomes much more than responding to emergencies. It becomes a second family 👪 It’s the laughs shared around station, training and learning together, supporting one another through the tough jobs, and always knowing there’s someone beside you when the pager goes off for a person in need.

As volunteer ambulance clinicians, we get the privilege of serving our own communities - the towns we live in, the people we know, and the places we call home. There’s something incredibly rewarding about being able to make a difference close to home 💚

So from Dayna and Ben, thank you from the bottom our hearts to all volunteers within SAAS, along with our friends across emergency services and community organisations throughout South Australia and around the country. Your time, compassion, and commitment never go unnoticed, and our communities are stronger because of you 💚

If you’ve ever thought about giving back to your community, there’s never been a better time to start your journey with the SA Ambulance Service! Check out saambulance.sa.gov.au/volunteer-with-us/ , where you can find more information about joining your local team and make a difference to your community 🚑