Ambulance Victoria (AV) is responsible for providing emergency medical transport, pre-hospital care and non-emergency stretcher and clinic transport services for around 5.2 million people throughout Victoria, an area of almost 227,600 square kilometres. The organisation is also responsible for providing air ambulance services throughout the state. AV is an integral component of the health care system and consequently a significant infrastructure is in place to enable a rapid emergency response and delivery of a high standard of pre-hospital care to the community. The objectives of AV are as follows: ¥ to respond rapidly to requests for help in a medical emergency ¥ to provide specialised medical skills to maintain life and to reduce injuries in emergency situations and while moving people requiring those skills ¥ to provide specialised transport facilities to move people requiring emergency medical treatment ¥ to provide services for which specialised medical or transport skills are necessary; and ¥ to foster public education in first aid AV aims to improve the health of the community by providing emergency and health crisis services. In achieving this purpose, AV will seek to be known for: ¥ excellence in paramedic services for health emergencies and crises ¥ integrating with and connecting health emergency and crises services ¥ effective first contact health emergency and crises solutions