Program

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Wednesday 12 August 2026

19:00 – 20:30

CAA Congress Welcome Reception | National Convention Centre, Canberra
Exhibition Hall
Dress Code: Business Casual
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.

Thursday 13 August 2026

08:00 – 17:00	Dress Code: Business Casual Registration \| Foyer
08:00 – 09:00	Networking Breakfast \| Exhibition Hall Make the most of your Congress experience by attending the networking breakfast on the first day, an inclusive opportunity for all participants to casually break the ice, share ideas, and build essential professional connections before the start of formal sessions.
Room	Royal Theatre
09:00 – 09:05	Welcome to Congress Mark Molloy, Acting General Manager ACTAS Education, ACT Ambulance
09:05 – 09:15	Welcome to Country Aunty Serena Williams Palm, Ngunnawal Elder
09:15 – 09:20	Welcome to the 2026 Council of Ambulance Authorities Congress Andrew Tombs, Chief Executive Officer, CAA
09:20 – 09:30	Host Service Welcome Rebecca Lundy, Acting Chief Officer, ACT Ambulance
09:30 – 09:40	Welcome Address Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services & Minister for Women.
09:40 – 10:20	The Future Workforce: The demographic, generational and technology trends transforming teams Mark McCrindle, Social Researcher, Futurist and Author
	The Changing Role of Ambulance in the Health System
10:20 – 11:00	The Changing Role of Ambulance in the Health System Dr Dan Bodnar, Deputy Medical Director, Queensland Ambulance Service
11:00 – 11:30	Morning Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing \| Exhibition Hall
	Demonstrations at Booths 11:10 – Corvanta \| Booth 20 The Future of Critical Communications in Ambulance Join Corvanta for a 10-minute showcase of the latest innovations in Critical Communications technology keeping ambulance services connected, informed and safe. Our live demonstration of the Corvanta Incident Response App will feature real-time situational awareness, clinical guidance drawn directly from a service’s own Clinical Practice Guidelines at the point of care, and a personal duress device that raises an alert through the control room tools you already trust. 11:20 – Hoverboard \| Booth 21 Protect the Patient While our patient air suspension system has become virtually the standard throughout much of Europe, it is still largely unknown in Australia and New Zealand. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to let visitors experience firsthand the remarkable difference the Hoverboard makes in reducing vibrations and impacts during patient transport.
11:30 – 12:10	10 year plan – UK perspective Jason Killens, Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service
12:10 – 12:50	Panel: Expanded scope of ambulance service delivery Facilitator: Abigail Trewin, Chief Executive Officer, St John Ambulance (NT) Jason Killens, Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service Dan Bodnar, Deputy Medical Director, Queensland Ambulance Service Dan Ohs, Deputy Chief Executive-Ambulance Operations, Hato Hone St John
12:50 – 12:55	Platinum Sponsor Presentation Kendall Heath, Mercedes-Benz Vans
13:00 – 13:45	Lunch, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing \| Exhibition Hall
	Demonstrations at Booths 13:05 – Device Technologies \| Booth 19 Two New Arrivals: What’s Next in Ventilation and Patient Transport Device Technologies are bringing two brand-new products to market; one reimagines how patients are moved, the other reimagines how they breathe. Both are designed to solve problems for ambulance crews, and to achieve better results for patients. Come visit our booth to discover something new. 13:15 – Mindray \| Booth 3 & 4 It was a dark and stormy night A short story about why messaging matters during low-frequency / high-stakes events and how Mindray’s user experience hits different. 13:25 – RAPP Australia \| Booth 17 Fully Handsfree CPR The synchronous combination of the 3rd Generation Sunlife MCC-E5 Mechanical Chest Compression device with the unique Weinmann MEDUMAT Standard 2 CCSV mode of ventilation! 13:35 – EM Vision \| Booth 16 Bringing brain scanning to the patient: a portable scanner for stroke and TBI detection EMVision First Responder is a portable brain scanning device designed to support the rapid identification of stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the point of care. This demonstration showcases how the system is used in a pre-hospital environment, highlighting its portability, intuitive workflow, and potential to support earlier clinical decision-making before patients reach the hospital.
	Concurrent Sessions
Room	Bradman Theatrette	Menzies Theatrette	Royal Theatre
	Leadership	Workforce	Clinical Practice, Models of Care & Patient Safety
Session Chair	Peta Lehoczky, Operations Manager – Recruitment, WHS, Wellbeing and Performance, ACT Ambulance	Michael McClean, Ambulance Manager – Clinical Educator, Education Unit, ACT Ambulance	John Berry, Operations Manager – Block 1 and 4, ACT Ambulance
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, ACT Ambulance	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-design in ambulance education reform: A Papua New Guinea case study Glen Beasley, Alexander Domain, Anthony Pryke, Vagi Ila, Stevie Nion & Charles Wakinau, St John Ambulance PNG	Equity in stroke management –pre-hospital innovations improving stroke care for all Australians Leigh Branagan, Ambulance Victoria
15:00 – 15:30	Afternoon Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing \| Exhibition Hall
	Demonstrations at Booths 15:10 – Stryker \| Booth 18 LIFENET transmission with LIFEPAK 35. Stryker’s next-generation patient data communication platform LIFENET Care together with LIFEPAK 35. 15:20 – ZOLL \| Booth 09 Designed for the Future of EMS: The New ZOLL Zenix™ Monitor/Defibrillator Experience ZOLL Zenix® – a next-generation monitor/defibrillator shaped by years of EMS feedback. Join us to explore how Zenix combines rugged EMS-ready performance with an intuitive design that helps clinicians focus on what matters most: patient care.
Room	Royal Theatre
	Demand, Emergency Management and Shared Responsibility
15:30 – 16:00	Beyond the sirens: workforce, resilience, and the future of ambulance services David Dutton, Acting ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner
16:00 – 16:30	Cross sector collaboration Diana Zimmerman, A/Executive Director Specialist Operations & Coordination, Ambulance Victoria
16:30 – 17:00	Panel: Emergency management and shared responsibility Facilitator: Nicole Ashworth, Chief Executive Officer, Ambulance Tasmania Rob Webb, Chief Executive Officer, AFAC Carl McLennan, Chief Executive Officer, ANZPAA Andrew Tombs, Chief Executive Officer, CAA
17:00	Close Day 1
19:00 – 23:00	Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner \| Australian Parliament House Dress Code: Business Formal / Cocktail 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. Note: Registrations for the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner will close on 31 July 2026.

Friday 14 August 2026

08:30 – 17:00	Dress Code: Business Casual Registration \| Foyer
Room	Royal Theatre
09:00 – 09:15	Welcome to Day 2 Rob Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, SA Ambulance Service
	Workforce 2036 – Flexible Work, Gender Parity (Diversification) and Sustainability
09:15 – 09:45	From recruitment to retention: Creating emergency services where people choose to stay Dr Hezedean Smith, President, National EMS Management Association (NEMSA)
09:45 – 10:25	A future ready workforce within the context of the national digital health agenda Joanne Greenfield, Chief Operating Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency
10:25 – 11:00	With good leadership, we can succeed. With great leadership, anything is possible Mischa Fahl, Executive Director, Fahl Employee Relations
11:00 – 11:30	Morning Tea, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing \| Exhibition Hall
	Demonstrations at Booths 11:10 – EM Vision \| Booth 16 Bringing brain scanning to the patient: a portable scanner for stroke and TBI detection EMVision First Responder is a portable brain scanning device designed to support the rapid identification of stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the point of care. This demonstration showcases how the system is used in a pre-hospital environment, highlighting its portability, intuitive workflow, and potential to support earlier clinical decision-making before patients reach the hospital. 11:20 – Device Technologies \| Booth 19 Two New Arrivals: What’s Next in Ventilation and Patient Transport Device Technologies are bringing two brand-new products to market; one reimagines how patients are moved, the other reimagines how they breathe. Both are designed to solve problems for ambulance crews, and to achieve better results for patients. Come visit our booth to discover something new.
	Concurrent Sessions
Room	Bradman Theatrette	Menzies Theatrette	Royal Theatre
	Workforce Design & Flexible Work	Workforce	Role of Ambulance
Session Chair	Andrew Clifford, A/G Operations Manager, Governance and Policy, ACT Ambulance	Jo Miles, Operations Manager, NEPT and ECP, ACT Ambulance	Aaron Hughes, Operations Manager, ACT Ambulance
11:30 – 11:50	The Paramedic Educator as Data Architect: Achieving Outsized Impact with Accessible Data Tools Michael McClean, ACT Ambulance	What happens when an ambulance service employs Its own mental health clinicians? Vanessa Bell, Queensland Ambulance Service Ms Emily Cloumassis, 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 Craig 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 Lauren D’Arcy, St John WA	“Providing half a service”: Paramedic perspectives on intimate partner violence care A/Prof Simon Sawyer, Charles Sturt University	From Escalation to Regulation: Digital Behavioural Support in the Future of Ambulance Care Tim Conolan AM, TLC for Kids
12:30 – 12:40	Navigating sorcery beliefs in prehospital care: Developing ambulance communication strategies in Papua New Guinea Olivia Galiano, St John Ambulance PNG
12:45 – 13:45	Lunch, Demonstrations, Poster Viewing \| Exhibition Hall
	Demonstrations at Booths 12:47 – Corvanta \| Booth 20 The Future of Critical Communications in Ambulance Join Corvanta for a 10-minute showcase of the latest innovations in Critical Communications technology keeping ambulance services connected, informed and safe. Our live demonstration of the Corvanta Incident Response App will feature real-time situational awareness, clinical guidance drawn directly from a service’s own Clinical Practice Guidelines at the point of care, and a personal duress device that raises an alert through the control room tools you already trust. 12:56 – Stryker \| Booth 18 LIFENET transmission with LIFEPAK 35. Stryker’s next-generation patient data communication platform LIFENET Care together with LIFEPAK 35. 13:05 – ZOLL \| Booth 09 Keep CPR Going: Experience the Next Generation AutoPulse® NXT See AutoPulse® NXT in action – designed to help EMS teams deliver patient-customised, uninterrupted, high-quality CPR from the field through transport and treatment. Discover how its improved design and automated circumferential compressions can support paramedics in challenging resuscitation environments. 13:14 – RAPP Australia \| Booth 17 Fully Handsfree CPR The synchronous combination of the 3rd Generation Sunlife MCC-E5 Mechanical Chest Compression device with the unique Weinmann MEDUMAT Standard 2 CCSV mode of ventilation! 13:23 – Hoverboard \| Booth 21 Protect the Patient While our patient air suspension system has become virtually the standard throughout much of Europe, it is still largely unknown in Australia and New Zealand. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to let visitors experience firsthand the remarkable difference the Hoverboard makes in reducing vibrations and impacts during patient transport. 13:32 – Mindray \| Booth 3 & 4 Better living through telemetry Our ‘always-on’ communications enable real-time collaboration and can streamline clinical workflow at the destination – let’s talk about how we can provide a safety net for patients who might prefer to stay at home.
Room	Royal Theatre
	Leadership, Profession and the Future of Ambulance
13:45 – 14:25	Trust: Protecting what matters most Clare Beech, Interim Commissioner & CEO NSW Ambulance
14:25 – 15:05	Volunteer model in SA ambulance service Rob Elliott, Chief Executive Officer SA Ambulance Service & CAA Deputy Chair
15:05 – 15:45	Panel: New leaders, Real impact Facilitator: Clare Beech, Interim Commissioner & CEO NSW Ambulance 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)
15:45 – 16:00	Welcome to the 2027 CAA Congress, Thank you and Congress Close