Program Updates
Please note the program, speaker and session details are subject to change. Please check this page regularly
Program Time Zone
The session are shown in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) UTC +10.
Use a time zone converter to check your time: timeanddate.com
Wednesday 12 August 2026
| 19:00 – 20:30 | CAA Congress Welcome Reception| National Convention Centre, Canberra Exhibition Hall The Welcome Reception offers a prime opportunity for attendees to unwind, connect, and build relationships in a casual setting, creating a positive and collaborative atmosphere before the formal Congress program begins.Always a highlight for Congress attendees, the reception will feature a welcome from the CAA and reception sponsor, drinks, and canapes. |
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Thursday 13 August 2026
| 08:00 – 17:00 | Registration | Foyer | ||
| Room | Royal Theatre | ||
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome to Congress | ||
| 09:05 – 09:15 | Welcome to Country | ||
| 09:15 – 09:20 | Welcome to the 2026 Council of Ambulance Authorities Congress Andrew Tombs, Chief Executive Officer, CAA |
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| 09:20 – 09:30 | Host Service Welcome David Dutton, Chief Officer, ACT Ambulance Service |
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| 09:30 – 09:40 | Welcome Address Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services & Minister for Women. |
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| 9:40 – 10:20 | Keynote Speaker Mark McCrindle |
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| The Changing Role of Ambulance in the Health System | |||
| 10:20 – 11:00 | Topic & Speaker to be announced | ||
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Morning Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing |Exhibition Hall | ||
| 11:30 – 12:10 | 10 year Plan – UK Perspective Jason Killens, Chair, London Ambulance Service |
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| 12:10 – 12.50 | Panel: Expanded Scope of Ambulance Service Delivery Jason Killens, Chair, London Ambulance Service Dr Dan Bodnar, Deputy Medical Director Dan Ohs, Deputy Chief Executive-Ambulance Operations |
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| 12.50 – 12.55 | Platinum Sponsor Presentation Mercedes-Benz |
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| 13:00 – 13:45 | Lunch, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing | Exhibition Hall | ||
| Concurrent Sessions | |||
| Room | Bradman Theatrette | Menzies Theatrette | Royal Theatre |
| Leadership | Workforce | Clinical Practice, Models of Care & Patient Safety | |
| Session Chair | |||
| 13:45 – 14:05 |
Interrupting the Leadership Load Loop: Practical Insights from a leadership health intervention. Dr Paula Conroy, Insight Health Advisory |
Managing menstruation in an ambulance health service: early findings of workforce considerations. Erin Mengler, Australian Catholic University |
The Queensland Ambulance Service Falls Co-Response Program. Kym Murphy, Queensland Ambulance Service |
| 14:10 – 14:30 |
Why Emotional Intelligence Works: The Neurocognitive mechanisms behind leadership under pressure. Tim Spokes, Charles Sturt University |
The lived experience of operational paramedics who are mothers of young children: a qualitative study Liane Harnett, Western Sydney University |
Pre-hospital neurophysiologic monitoring in traumatic brain injury. Wayne Loudon, Queensland Ambulance Service |
| 14:35 – 14:55 |
From TikTok to Triage: The Generation Z Leadership Gap in a Future-Ready Paramedic Workforce – a Narrative integrative review with thematic synthesis. Abbey Studley, St John Ambulance NT |
Indigenous Pedagogy and Co-Desin in Ambulance Education Reform: A Papua New Guinea Case Study. Glenn Beasley, St John Ambulance PNG |
Equity in stroke management –pre-hospital innovations improving stroke care for all Australians. Grant Hocking, Australian Stroke Alliance |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Afternoon Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing | Exhibition Hall | ||
| Room | Royal Theatre | ||
| Demand, Emergency Management and Shared Responsibility | |||
| 15:30 – 16:00 | ACT Emergency Services Commissioners Speaker to be confirmed |
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| 16:00 – 16:30 | Cross Sector Collaboration Diana Zimmerman, A/Executive Director Specialist Operations & Coordination, Ambulance Victoria |
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| 16:30 – 17:00 | Panel: Emergency Management and Shared Responsibility Facilitator: Rob Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, SA Ambulance Service Panelists: |
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| 17:00 | Close Day 1 | ||
| 19:00 – 23:00 | Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner | Australian Parliament House Parliament House, Great Hall, Canberra ACT 2600 Pre-Dinner Drinks from 19:00, with guests seated for dinner at 19:30.Buses will be departing the National Convention Centre from 18:30, and return buses will be available. The most distinguished event on the CAA calendar, the CAA Awards for Excellence aims to recognise the hard and innovative work of member ambulance services from Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The awards are designed to encourage innovation and to enable services to share their work and learn from each other. |
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Friday 14 August
| 08:30 – 17:00 | Registration | Foyer | ||
| Room | Royal Theatre | ||
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome to Day 2 David Dutton, Chief Officer, ACT Ambulance Service |
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| Workforce 2036 – Flexible Work, Gender Parity (Diversification) and Sustainability | |||
| 09:05 – 09:45 | Watch This Space | ||
| 09:45 – 10:25 | Retain skilled and committed workforce Speaker to be confirmed |
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| 10.25 – 11.00 | Flexible Work Management Speaker to be confirmed |
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| 11.00 – 11:30 | Morning Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing | Exhibition Hall | ||
| Concurrent Sessions | |||
| Room | Bradman Theatrette | Menzies Theatrette | Royal Theatre |
| Workforce Design & Flexible Work | Workforce | Role of Ambulance | |
| Session Chair | |||
| 11:30 – 11:50 |
Driving Paramedic Performance Using a Digital Platform to Support Workforce Readiness Jean-Paul Veronese, Griffith University |
What Happens When an Ambulance Service Employs It’s Own Mental Health Clinicians? Verena Pritchard, Queensland Ambulance Service |
An analysis of trends in notifications made to AHPRA about paramedics between 2018-2025 A/Prof Simon Sawyer, Charles Sturt University |
| 11:55 – 12:15 |
Preventing Misconduct Before It Becomes Harm: A Systems Approach for Ambulance Services Graig McGlynn, NSW Ambulance |
Cultural and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Medical Service Use in Australia and New Zealand Deepak Nair, Wellington Free Ambulance |
Understanding Generalism and its Impact on Paramedic Roles and Identity Dr Buck Reed, Charles Sturt University |
| 12:20 – 12:30 |
Technology-enabled Auslan interpreting across St John WA services sets new benchmark for patient informed care informed care Lauren D’Arcy, St John WA |
“Providing half a service”: Paramedic perspectives on intimate partner violence care A/Prof Simon Sawyer, Charles Sturt University |
Using High-Frequency Simulation to Develop Crisis Resource Management Skills and Workforce Readiness in Paramedicine Education Jean-Paul Veronese, Griffith University |
| 12:30 – 12:40 |
Navigating Sorcery Beliefs in Prehospital Care: Developing Ambulance Communication Strategies in Papua New Guinea Olivia Galiano, St John Ambulance PNG |
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| 12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing | Exhibition Hall | ||
| Room | Royal Theatre | ||
| Leadership, Profession and the Future of Ambulance | |||
| 13:45 – 14:25 | Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge Clare Beech, Interim Commissioner & CEO NSW Ambulance |
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| 14:25 – 15:05 | Volunteer Model in SA Ambulance Service Rob Elliott, Chief Executive Officer SA Ambulance Service & CAA Deputy Chair |
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| 15:05 – 15:45 | Panel: New Leaders, Real Impact David Dutton, Chief Officer ACT Ambulance Service Jordan Emery, Chief Executive Officer Ambulance Victoria Jason Killens, Chair, London Ambulance Service Abigail Trewin, Chief Executive Officer, St John Ambulance (NT) |
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| 15:45 – 16:00 | Welcome to the 2027 CAA Congress, Thank you and Congress Close | ||