Frankston ALS Paramedic reflects on 50 years of service
January 22, 2025in Community News
After 50 years of dedicated service, Frankston ALS Paramedic Kevin Cooper officially reached this remarkable milestone on 13 January 2025.
He is now on long service leave and will embrace official retirement on 3 August 2025. During this transition, Kevin has been enjoying a slower pace of life, taking daily walks with his wife Isobel and their dog Billy along Frankston Pier.
Reflecting on his career shift, Kevin shared, “It’s a strange but good feeling to step away from such a busy routine. After decades of working in a fast-paced environment, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy more of life’s quieter moments with family.”
Kevin’s illustrious career began in 1975 when he joined the Peninsula Ambulance Service in Frankston as a 17-year-old cadet. At the time, the Peninsula Ambulance Service was one of 17 autonomous regions of Ambulance Victoria. Kevin completed his training and graduated as a qualified Ambulance Officer in December 1977.
Throughout his tenure, Kevin witnessed and contributed to significant advancements in paramedicine. From 2019 to 2023, he collaborated with Ambulance Victoria’s clinical team to introduce the life-saving drug Solu-Cortef to ambulances. This medication is used to treat patients with potentially life-threatening adrenal insufficiency conditions, such as adrenal crisis.
Kevin in 2024
“After completing worldwide research, I wrote the first draft of the Adrenal Insufficiency Clinical Practice Guidelines,” Kevin said. “I was thrilled when Solu-Cortef was introduced to ambulances across Victoria in January 2023. Shortly after, my partner Brett Williams and I were able to save the life of a young mother of triplets who was in adrenal crisis using this new drug. It was a great feeling.”
Kevin also received positive feedback from paramedics across Victoria, who reported making a significant difference in saving lives and treating these conditions effectively for the first time.
AV Mount Martha Acting Team Manager Suzanne Constantinou praised Kevin’s remarkable impact. “Kevin has been directly involved in shaping Ambulance Victoria and healthcare, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside him. His career highlights are a true testament to his dedication and commitment to serving those most vulnerable in our community,” she said.
Among Kevin’s many experiences, he attended the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, with is partner Ian “Smithy” Smith, where 47 people lost their lives, and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, where 173 people died, and 414 were injured. These events remain some of Victoria’s most significant tragedies.
Conversely, Kevin fondly recalls delivering 15 babies, including his first emergency delivery at age 19—a breech birth outside Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne—and assisting in the delivery of another 15 babies.
Kevin also had the opportunity to work on the “Angel of Mercy” helicopter ambulance, a Bell Jet Ranger based at Tyabb Airfield, where he occasionally flew on mercy missions during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“Sometimes, with the stress of being a paramedic, you wonder why you come to work. But delivering a baby or bringing someone back from the edge reminds you why you love this job,” he said.
For Kevin, retirement offers a well-earned opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary career while embracing a new chapter in life.