Meet RACQ's 'angels on the road'
With RACQ celebrating 100 years of roadside assistance, we caught up with two patrol officers to delve into their experiences on the road.
Gino Larocca and Ian Provan have recounted some of their most memorable jobs and experiences and discussed what keeps their odometer ticking along.
With a combined 40 years’ experience, these officers have done everything from rescuing children locked in cars to saving weddings.
“When you wake up, you don’t know what’s ahead; every job, person and problem is different, there’s never a boring day,” Gino explained.
Although they have both completed thousands of jobs, Gino and Ian believe their roles can’t be quantified by numbers alone.
“It’s not just a job, it’s a person who needs help and we need to provide the solution,” Ian said.
After rescuing a baby trapped inside a car, Gino said the child's mother praised him and RACQ for being “angels on the road”.
“That job has always stuck with me. The mother had tears in her eyes, and I went home feeling like I’d really helped her,” he said.
Ian shared his own memorable moment from his years patrolling our roads.
“I once helped a bride on the morning of her wedding; she’d locked herself out of her car after going to the gym,” Ian said.
“Later that day, she called me and said, ‘I made it – I’m off to get married!’”
RACQ patrol officer Gino Larocca.
A common theme from both patrol officers was their passion for what they do – helping Queenslanders wherever and whenever they can.
“I have pride in being an RACQ patrol and how well respected we are in the community,” Ian said.
Gino added: “That’s the good part of this job, you’re helping people out.
“You fix their problem and see their smile when you leave”.
We asked both Gino and Ian what they think the next 100 years will look like for RACQ Roadside Assistance.
“There will be more and more EVs on the road, but they still need batteries and will still have flat tyres,” Gino said.
“The technology will be completely different, but patrols providing genuine member service – I can’t see that changing,” Ian added.
Share your story to win
Tell us about your most memorable roadside rescue for a chance to win a $1,000 RACQ Travel voucher or one of 10 Roadside Assistance vouchers valued at $100 each*.
Submit your story at racq.com/roadside-stories between 2 June and 27 July.
*T&Cs apply. Visit racq.com/roadsidestories for more information and to read the full terms and conditions
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