Nick Buruma, Class of 2011
Nick is an Ambulance call-taker and dispatcher for Victoria's Triple Zero service.
Triple Zero call-taker and dispatcher and Class of 2011 Alumni Nick Buruma has been busy! In just over ten years Nick has travelled the world, met the love of his life, become a dad, studied, and found a career he loves.
After finishing Year 12, Nick took a gap year, exploring the snowfields of Falls Creek, then Big White in Canada where he was a ski and snowboard instructor. On his return Nick completed a Double Degree in Business and Economics/ Outdoor Recreation at Monash University, a course heavily influenced by his love for Outdoor Education which he studied at Luther.
After finishing university, Nick travelled to East Africa with now fiancé Emily exploring Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Malawi, a trip of a lifetime he says has changed him forever.
“That trip changed who we were as people, living life in the moment, flying by the seat of our pants and stepping outside of our comfort zone. That’s when the best life experiences happen,” Nick said.
Nick and Emily went on to live and work on a tiny group of islands off the coast of Cornwall, before taking their adventures to Europe then settling back in Melbourne.
A chance application to the Emergency Service Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) or Triple Zero as its better-known saw Nick take a different career path than first planned.
“I’ve been at ESTA now for nearly four years where I work as an Ambulance dispatcher and call-taker, which can be very stressful and chaotic, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the support I get working here is incredible.
“Working at ESTA has also afforded me fantastic work life balance and incredible opportunities to have a true, positive impact on the community and the people you speak with on the phone everyday, most of whom may be going through the most difficult moment of their life,” he said.
“The best feeling as a call-taker and dispatcher is when you learn of a really good outcome for a patient. Once the call ends, we often don’t find out the outcome but on the odd occasion you get feedback from the caller that their husband/wife/ daughter/son etc survived it gives you an amazing sense of purpose,” he said.
To reads more about Nick Buruma check out page 28 of LutherLetter.