MICHAEL Humbles has always worked with his hands – at first fixing motors and then fixing people.
But after 40 years of delivering babies, helping the sick and patching up injured patients, Mick has left to take care of himself.
The 65-year-old retired from the Queensland Ambulance Service this month after four decades as a paramedic.
Emergency call-outs have been left to more sprightly people, who Mick had trained at the Capalaba station and at Ormiston.
“I’ve had a brilliant career … but at 65-and-a-half, its getting too hard,” he said.
Mick first began working for the service as a stretcher bearer after stints at a fertilizer company and mechanics.
He was only 25 but quickly fell in love with the job as he learned how to help people in strife.
He described Queensland Ambulance Service as one of the world’s best providers of pre-hospital emergency care, thanks to its well-trained staff and high acuity and aerial response units.
While memories of fatalities could never be forgotten, Mick said the troubling thoughts were eased by the knowledge he and his team had always provided the best care possible.
“They (fatalities) are always in your mind, you never forget them,” he said.
“But we have one of the best paramedic services. They provide good support and all the training is excellent.”
Mick said he planned to travel and live a good life with his wife Liz in retirement.
His retirement party earlier this month was attended by friends, colleagues and paramedics on university placements he had helped train.
Mick said he was excited for the future of emergency response care, which he believed would improve with future medical advances.