Community-minded Bairnsdale local, Mark Somers, has had a remarkable 42-year career in emergency services right across Australia in roles ranging from ambulance paramedic to cave rescue specialist.
And now, thanks to paid community-service leave offered by his current employer, East Gippsland Water – where he works as Coordinator of Risk and Emergency Management – Mark donates lots of his time to the community as an Angel Flight non-emergency-patient-transport pilot.
“I’m fortunate that East Gippsland Water’s paid community-service leave – as well as rostered days off – help me to help out
the community as a pilot for Angel Flight,” Mark said.
Several times each month, Mark donates his time, skill and his single-engine Cessna 172 – which is based at Bairnsdale Airport – to fly East Gippsland patients from as far away as Mallacoota to specialist medical appointments in the “big smoke” of Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne.
Mark says it’s “fantastic” that East Gippsland Water offers its staff paid leave to volunteer in the community.
“Some staff members here help the CFA to fight bushfires, or drop everything as they don their SES fluoro gear to assist residents to secure their home after a major storm and East Gippsland Water is right behind them, providing paid volunteer leave that supports them while they do their bit,” Mark said.
During his career, Mark has gravitated to roles in community service positions, ranging from a being an Ambulance Victoria paramedic for 25 years (including four years as a flight paramedic), to key coordination and management roles in the Fire Services and SES across four states.
In fact, it was during his role managing the SES in the Norther Rivers region of NSW that Mark decided to study for his pilot’s licence.
“When I was working up north, I was required to travel across vast areas of land,” Mark said.
“I thought being able to fly a plane might come in pretty handy for getting around, and because I was single and had some time on my hands, I decided to get my pilot’s licence, and it certainly helped a lot.
“I learnt to fly in outback Queensland and became a bit of a ‘bush pilot’ which was great at the time.
“But I have to say that when I moved back to Victoria and started volunteering with Angel Flight, it was a bit of a shock to the system.
“All of a sudden I found myself flying into very busy and highly controlled airspaces like Essendon, Moorabbin or Canberra airports, and it was a bit intimidating at first, and a new challenge to overcome in my flying, but I’m used to it now, and a better pilot as a result.
“Being a pilot changes the way you think. You always need to think many steps into the future – a bit like playing chess – and so it’s helped teach me how to think in more detail and further ahead.
“It’s also given me a beautiful, aerial
perspective on lots of wonderful places around Australia.”
Mark said that Angel Flight, which relies entirely on donations and receives no government funding, provides non-emergency flights and ground transportation to people in remote and regional areas, such as East Gippsland, so they can access the specialist medical treatments they need.
“Angel Flight helps transport patients of all ages needing medical treatment at destinations where other forms of transport are
physically and emotionally taxing or unaffordable,” Mark said.
“It’s for transporting patients who don’t need active care. There’s usually just
the patient and an escort or family member with them.
“When we land, we’re generally met by a ‘ground angel’, a volunteer driver who’ll take them from the airport to their appointment, then back to the airport to fly home.
“All flights are free for passengers, and
Angel Flight pays for my fuel and landing costs, but I provide and fly the plane and cover any other costs.
“There’s a big demand for the service. I could fly every day if I wasn’t working – and when I retire, that’s exactly what I might do.”
Angel Flight is a registered Australian not-for-profit charity, funded entirely by private donations. To donate, go to angelflight.org.au and click on ‘Donate’.
