The Cobden Ambulance community officer branch has been running out of Cobden Health since mid - 2017. It started coverage of the area with occasional days as staff were trained up. We now generally have coverage most days and nights due to the commitment of our volunteers.

What is an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO)?  They are local and out of town volunteers who are employed and trained by Ambulance Victoria. They are not paramedics but attain a Certificate 2 accreditation in Emergency Medical First Response.

The role of the ACO is to initially respond to 000 callouts that they are dispatched to and provide patient assessment, initial treatment and if appropriate transport to hospital. They are backed up by the nearest qualified paramedic who will take over patient assessment and care from the ACO’s after they arrive.