Last week, Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman officially opened the $3.1 million Drayton Ambulance Station.

The ambulance station is on the southern side of Drayton on the corner of Gwynne and Shepperd streets, near Drayton State School and Drayton Central Shopping Centre.

It will service the area of Drayton, Wyreema, Cambooya, Westbrook, Preston and south-west Toowoomba.

Minister Fentiman also announced the Darling Downs Mental Health Co-Responder team will be based at the Drayton facility.

The station is home to 17 Advanced Care Paramedics and an Officer-in-Charge, who have already provided care to the community.

The station is comprised of a four-bay plant room, patient care store, office space, day room and write up area, multifunctional rest and study rooms that can also be used as training space.

Minister Fentiman said this state-of-the-art facility is supporting paramedics to deliver the best care possible to their patients, ensuring the community’s expectations are being met during medical emergencies.

“One of the most common callouts for our Darling Downs paramedics is for Acute Mental Health patients, so I’m proud to be part of a government that is investing in this specialist program which pairs mental health clinicians with our paramedics,” Minister Fentiman said.

“I’m committed to improving access to health care across our regions and this station is supporting coverage in the Darling Downs and South West Region and contributing to improved response times.”

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Darling Downs and South West Region Assistant Commissioner Michelle Baxter said the facility provides an incredible space to work and QAS has already seen the advantages of the multimillion-dollar station since it became operational.

“This facility was also designed for the QAS to relocate the headquarters of our Darling Downs and South West Region office from the previous location in the Toowoomba CBD,” Ms Baxter said.

“The premises will help our entire Darling Downs and South West team navigate what may lie ahead for the region.

“Our staff proudly put on their uniform day in, day out for the community and it’s great to see them operating out of these premises.”

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 27 July 2023.