St John needs more volunteers, as pressure mounts on those it does have to maintain a 24-hour service to save lives.
It had 12 volunteers and needed another 12 until six Meridian Energy staff based at Twizel stepped forward to join.
That left another six to find to maintain the 24-hour service, North Otago St John territory manager Ken Barton said yesterday.
The service covers an area, depending on availability, from the Lindis Pass to halfway between Twizel and Tekapo and down the Waitaki Valley to halfway between Twizel and Kurow.
Kurow and Tekapo have their own ambulance stations.
Mr Barton said that area relied on volunteers to provide an emergency ambulance service, preferably one responding from Twizel within 12 minutes.
''If we can't get enough volunteers, an ambulance would have to come from one of the other stations at least an hour away.
''This could mean the difference between a life lost and a life saved,'' Mr Barton said.
Meridian's asset maintenance manager Mat Bayliss praised staff for putting their hands up as volunteers to keep such an important service operating fully in the community.
Mr Barton added that had reduced pressure on existing volunteers, who worked a roster to ensure the Twizel area was covered 24 hours.
New first responder volunteers were required to undertake a training course, including advanced first aid, induction and a two-day driving course.
It took about 11 days, broken up into about three courses over a few months.
''That is a wee bit of a commitment at first, but is really rewarding,'' Mr Barton said.
There was a lot of variety for volunteers. As well as callouts, they regularly attended public events from fairs to sports occasions and regional events.
''It is a fantastic way to get involved, meet new people and support your community. We'd love to hear from local people interested in joining us,'' he said.
