A letter from NSW Ambulance Service chief executive Greg Rochford refers to plans for volunteers to stand in as drivers to cut the number of single-crew ambulance shifts.

Gloucester, Stroud and Bulahdelah are served by just one paramedic on some nights.

Stroud Lions Club member and zone chairman Bernie Crooks said lives would be put in danger if the plan proceeds.

“These people are not qualified and should not be assisting ambulance officers,” he said.

“What would happen if it was a real emergency and they were not able to administer medical care and someone dies?

“It just shouldn’t happen and the government should be supplying qualified ambulance officers to cover all stations.”

A NSW Ambulance Service paramedic, who didn’t wish to be named, said that every Monday and Wednesday night, apart from one Monday a month, there is only one person on call at the station they work at.

“This means we either work on our own and wait for back up to arrive, or we help our fellow officers out and work when we are off duty,” the paramedic said.

“We have asked the service to increase our staffing levels by one so that we will be able to run a roster where every day and every night there are two officers on call and on shift at all times.

”I have nothing against volunteers and without them our community would not survive, but there are certain things that they can not do.

“If your family is faced with a medical emergency I must ask - would you rather have two highly qualified paramedics come to your aid or one paramedic and a volunteer?

“If you find that question hard to answer then look at it from the volunteer perspective.

“Would you as a volunteer like to hold the life of one of your community members in your hands?

“Remember that your patient could be your neighbour, friend or even a family member.

“We all know someone who has been touched by the tragedy of losing someone close to them - would you like to be there at that exact moment?