National St John Ambulance PNG recognized Jethro Philemon for ten years of service during the organization’s 69th anniversary celebrations last week on St John Day in Port Moresby.
He was honored for a career marked by leadership, sacrifice and dedication to emergency services.
Mr. Philemon, who currently oversees operations in the city and Central Province, received the 10-Year Service Award in recognition of his contribution to the organization since joining in 2015.
Speaking after receiving the award, he said the recognition came as an unexpected but meaningful milestone.
“I was not expecting the 10-year recognition today, but it was a surprise to me,” Mr. Philemon said.
Mr. Philemon’s journey with St John began in 2015 when he joined as a call center operator without anticipating it would become a long-term career in emergency response.
Originally from Yangoru in East Sepik Province, Mr. Philemon graduated from Lae Technical College, now known as Polytech, in 2008 with a qualification in Business Administration.
Before joining St John, he worked as a trainee with Telikom PNG, later moving to New Britain Palm Oil and then spending a year working in Lihir.
Mr. Philemon said he initially applied for a role within the finance department but accepted an opportunity in operations after learning there were no vacancies in finance.
“They told me there was no space in finance, but there was a space in operations,” he recalled.
He said the decision to move into operations changed the course of his career.
“As long as I could help save someone’s life, that was enough for me,” he said.
Over the years, Mr. Philemon progressed through the ranks and assumed greater leadership responsibilities.
He credited former Chief Executive Officer Matt Cannon and the current management team for supporting his professional development.
“Matt Cannon inspired me and guided me to where I am today. The current management also saw my potential and recognized my service,” he said.
Among his proudest achievements was helping establish St John’s regional station in Kokopo and becoming the first person assigned to set up the service there.
“That inspired me to continue serving the organization and uphold the standards that have been set,” he said.
Mr. Philemon said one of the most difficult moments in his career came in 2023 during a deployment to Moro as part of a joint operation involving St John and police personnel.
Just before deployment, he experienced a personal family tragedy but chose to proceed with the mission and lead his team.
“If I didn’t go, who else would do it? The organization trusted me to lead the team,” he said.
Throughout his career, Mr. Philemon has led St John personnel during deployments alongside police and emergency services in demanding and high-risk environments.
He said leadership brings challenges, including managing teams and maintaining service standards, but his motivation continues to come from helping others.
Mr. Philemon also acknowledged the support of his wife and two children and reflected on missing personal milestones, including being in New Zealand on a St John-sponsored study program when his first son was born.
He said receiving the award was not only recognition of his achievements but also a reminder of the values of dedication, resilience and service.
After ten years with National St John Ambulance PNG, Mr. Philemon said he remains committed to serving communities and helping save lives across Papua New Guinea.