Over a ten-month period, the Geelong Fleet Maintenance team undertook the disinfection of a minimum 62 covid infected ambulances.
The approximate cost for cleaning an ambulance vehicle external to Ambulance Victoria is $500 per truck. Consequently, by taking on the responsibility of cleaning the ambulances, the Geelong fleet team saved Ambulance Victoria about $31,000, albeit at the potential risk to theirs and their family members’ health and safety.
Despite this, Ambulance Victoria refuses to recognise the many additional contributions that Fleet Maintenance Officers make beyond their duties as mechanics by financially compensating them.
“I fulfil multiple roles here – I’m the receptionist, technician, accountant, after-hours point of contact, bioclean specialist, and mechanic. If AV only wants to compensate me as a mechanic, they should consider outsourcing these other tasks.”
– Luke Pettigrew, Geelong FMO
