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More importantly it’s the people at Wellington Free who make it an enjoyable place to be says Peter who is responsible for servicing and repairing Wellington Free’s fleet of vehicles and stretchers.

Pete says the current frontline box body ambulances have stood up pretty well, however some are starting to show their age; some Patient Transfer Service vehicles have travelled over 500,000kms.

He says all frontline Emergency Ambulances Services are either Mercedes Sprinters or Volkswagen Crafter and box bodied. The Patient Transfer Service has a variety of vehicles ranging from cars through to box body Sprinters fitted with hydraulic tail lifts.

During COVID-19 his workload increased as he and his colleague Barry often had to repair or fabricate components that would normally be replaced due to suppliers being delayed or unable to provide what was needed.

Some of the more challenging aspects of his work like tracing electrical faults can often take hours and involve stripping areas of a vehicle not usually made to be pulled apart.

“It can be interesting, also a lot of our vehicles are unique and often require out of the square ideas for repairs,” says Peter.

When ambulances come to their end of life they are usually sent to auction and some are now working in the Pacific Islands.