Tamworth paramedic Derek Baker is settling into his new role as Gunnedah's ambulance station manager.
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Mr Baker has been working in Tamworth since 2016 but before that, spent a few years in the Namoi group managing the Boggabri ambulance station.
He has been getting familiar with the Gunnedah station for a few months now, doing handover with long-time manager Scott Clarke who is moving to Armidale this month.
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Mr Clarke said Mr Baker was "always a part of the family anyway".
"It's just like he's been away for a few years ... we said he should never have left the Namoi and he should come back," he said.
Mr Baker said he knew the area pretty well and it was good to be back.
"I look at Gunnedah as one of the well-established family-orientated stations, and for me, it was an opportunity to manage a station that has a high level of staffing," he said.
"It was a tough decision for myself - there's a lot of experience in this station ... so you have to overcome that fear of managing staff that have been around a long time.
"Another one of the selling points for me was getting me out of night shifts in Tamworth. It's probably more of a family-friendly roster."
Mr Baker grew up in Moree and said paramedicine was "pretty much that dream job".
I did work experience in year 10 at school and I thought it was a career I could really enjoy," he said.
"It's always something I've had an interest in, the ability to help others in need."
Mr Baker will mark his 16th year as a paramedic on Australia Day. He is also part of the Tamworth city Fire and Rescue brigade.
He said his new role in Gunnedah was "a little bit daunting".
"Scott has a very high standard of his expectation of the paramedics here but also has their respect ... I've just go to continue that role on," he said.
