Peter Tranter has a remarkably sharp memory for an 84-year-old, but he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t working for the ambulance service.
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When he was 18 months old he moved to Griffith with his dad Charlie Tranter, who dreamed of starting the city’s first ambulance station and becoming the first paramedic.
As soon as Peter was old enough to toddle around and comprehend basic instructions, he was working hard to help his dad turn that dream into a reality.
He helped his parents and the ladies auxiliary in their fundraising efforts for the station, and he also manned the telephone while his parents were out.
This was back in the days of the old manual exchange, before phones had the ability to browse Instagram.
He would take emergency calls, hop on his bike, pedal furiously to his father's workplace, pass on the information, and hurriedly cycle back to continue manning the phones.
The frantic back and forth would prepare him for the life-long hectic career ahead of him.
By the time he was old enough to get a driver’s licence and drive an ambulance vehicle he was already a seasoned veteran.
He would go on to volunteer all across Australia before going through a midlife crisis when he was 40 and signing on to becoming a permanent officer in Sydney.
It was a poorly paid job back in the day and involved a lot of exhausting all nighters and witnessing a lot of human tragedy unfold before his eyes.
"It played hell with my health," he said.
But now when he looks back at his career and all the lives he has saved, he says it's all worth it.
Awards and accolades poured in throughout his life, including a premier's award for his work during the Newcastle earthquake and bushfires, a top bravery award from a state superintendent, and various others.
Following in the spirit of the Griffith pioneers, Peter achieved a lot of firsts during his long and winding career.
He was among the first tow rescue officers in Wagga, the first regional training officer for the Hunter region, the first Hunter briefer to deal with officers facing emotional distress from their jobs.
He has since retired, but he still reminisces about the good old days as the secretary of the Hunter Retired Ambulance Officers group.
Through hard work, dedication, and passion, Peter has become one of the few people who can look back on their life and career with a true sense of satisfaction.
"To have lived up to my father's legacy and to be recognised by the people of Griffith in the same way he was - it's really quite something," he said.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
