FOWL April Author Event

"Through the Rubble" tells the inspirational story of Alan Playford — a paramedic, former firefighter and humanitarian whose trailblazing career of four decades has spanned some of Australia’s most defining disasters and humanitarian missions.

A pioneer in the field, Alan founded the Westpac helicopter service in 1989, which has been important nationally for saving lives. The same year, Alan became a national hero after recuing Norm Duffy from beneath the rubble of the Newcastle Workers Club. For the paramedic known as “Scoop”, this was simply another day on the job.

Alan has also served overseas in East Timor, the Soloman Islands and post-genocide Rwanda, where here he spent five months convincing child soldiers to lay down their arms, rescuing aid workers from perilous riots and saving countless lives in the process.

Penny Keogh is a business writer, university lecturer and journalist. Penny met Alan while she was writing the book to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the NSW Ambulance Service. Their friendship led to the writing of this memoir.

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Host or Publisher Wingecarribee Public Libraries