Warrnambool MICA paramedic Jock O'Connor retires

Jock, a Warrnambool MICA paramedic will retire later in September 2023 after 35 years but in the final weeks of his career Nick, 28, will work alongside him.

Nick, who is usually based at Drysdale, near Geelong, and Jock asked Ambulance Victoria if they could work together as Jock transitioned to retirement after three decades in Warrnambool.

"We've done a couple of shifts together and he showed me up a bit I think," Jock laughed.

He said Nick was thriving in the role. "He seems like a good ambo to me and I think he's pretty happy with his choice too."

Nick said he'd emulated both his parents' careers, becoming a registered nurse like mum Deanne, and a registered paramedic like Jock.

This weekend will be the first time in close to a decade Jock, Deanne and their adult children Nick, Genevieve and Ally will be together on Father's Day before the two paramedics work together that evening.

It's a far cry from the beginning of Jock's career when he started with Ambulance Victoria in his late 20s in 1989.

Ambulance headquarters were based at Koroit Street and back then it was a "very different", male-dominated occupation.

"There was only male ambos," Jock said. "I think there might have been one female in the service at that time and now it's up to 52 or 53 per cent women, so it's been a massive change for the better.

"It's hard to believe it was considered a male-dominated job before but things move on."

The 63-year-old said he'd seen "enormous change" and the scope of practice had increased - from the equipment and drugs paramedics had on-hand, to the vast range of conditions they treated.

"When I first started we had about three drugs to use and now we've got probably 30 at least," he said.

Jock said working during the COVID-19 pandemic was different and the biggest challenge was wearing head-to-toe personal protective equipment.

"It made a tough job a hell of a lot harder, as well as concerns at the time were pretty significant," he said. "Particularly for first responders - when you saw what was going on in the 'States and Europe where first responders were dying, that was an interesting challenge."

During the pandemic he had some health challenges of his own, developing asthma and took leave to recuperate, which he said put him "on the road to retirement".

"I had a bit of a look at the other side and found I quite enjoyed it," he said. "I got back into my art and thought 'there is a different pathway here' and that helped me make my decision."

He said caring for others was "an absolute career highlight".

"You are in a very fortunate and privileged position as a paramedic where you have that opportunity to help people in probably sometimes their greatest time of need and perhaps the worst day of their lives," he said.

"If you can have some sort of impact on that, that's a good thing to do. Not that you always have a great impact but that's what you try and do.

"It's very rewarding in that way and it's a job that it gives as much as you give it."

Jock finishes up on September 17.

"It's always been a very enjoyable job to go to," he said. "I still enjoy going and I'm definitely going to miss it. A lot of your identity is wrapped up in what you do for a job and that certainly will be the case. It will be an interesting transition."

He said while the role was "all encompassing at some times, it's been a good career choice".

Shift work had enabled him balance playing cricket with Dennington, football with Deakin University Sharks and South Warrnambool, where he's been club president and remains the female football team co-ordinator, helping launch Western District's first female football program.

Jock thanked Ambulance Victoria and said he would miss his "motivated and innovative" colleagues.

"They're generally people-oriented and looking for solutions," Jock said. "They're a very positive group to be with. It's always enjoyable going to work."

He plans to dedicate a few days a week to his art, his lifelong passion since studying a fine arts degree at Warrnambool in the late 1980s. His contemporary works, including oil paintings and drawings, were recently exhibited at Red Gallery in Fitzroy north.

The keen ocean swimmer hits the water two to three times-a-week and he is also looking forward to more travel with plans to visit Europe in coming years.

Jock said he couldn't have had such a long career without Deanne and their children's support.

"Family's always been my number one priority," he said. "Sometimes the job gets in the road of it. Sport and a few other things also get in the road of it, but I've always had unbelievably good support from Deanne and the family's been an absolute rock.

"It's made my life a hell of a lot easier and made it possible to do all the stuff I've been lucky enough to achieve."

Nick said throughout his career his dad was only ever a phone call away. While their conversations didn't revolve around work, he was there to discuss and debrief some tough cases he'd attended.

Nick said while the pair had previously worked together when he was a volunteer ambulance community officer, now he's qualified it was "more of a level playing field where you've got more responsibilities".

"It's quite cool to see how Dad works in a pre-hospital setting and he can probably see how I've evolved as a paramedic over the last five years," Nick said. "It's a nice end-of-career experience."

MICA paramedic Michael Hingston has worked with Jock for 13 years and thanked him on behalf of the Warrnambool branch for his guidance and professionalism.

Mr Hingston said Jock was a pivotal south-west branch leader who mentored many of the team as they moved up the ranks.

"Jock is someone we all looked up to and wanted to emulate in our own careers," Mr Hingston said.

"Whilst our job is often marked by tragedy for some of the patients and families we are called to assist, I always admired how Jock could handle these situations with a level compassion that made these cases, whilst overwhelmingly sad, also special and a privilege to be involved in."

Mr Hingston said Jock was a "values-based gentleman" whose colleagues held in high regard, admiring his kindness and care.

"Working with him has been an honour and a privilege and he's certainly going to be missed," Mr Hingston said.

"But we recognise his long-term service for the region and feel he thoroughly deserves his opportunity to spend more time on special occasions with his family and pursue his other passions in life."

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