Frontenac County Paramedics traveled to Switzerland for Job Swap

by Alison Shorey   In March 2019, the paramedic service I work for, Frontenac Paramedics, received a unique and exciting invitation from a German TV production company asking if they would be interested in participating in a reality TV show called Job Swap.  Job Swap is a show in which people from Germany or Switzerland switch jobs with other people in foreign countries. They were planning an episode where two Swiss paramedics would exchange jobs with two Canadian paramedics, and Frontenac Paramedics...

06 August, 2019
Thriving against the odds thanks to the swift response of Dufferin County Paramedic Services

When 20-year-old Brianna came home to Orangeville on a two-week break from college in Hamilton, she had no idea she wouldn’t be returning to school next semester. On May 11, 2019 Brianna woke in the middle of the night with discomfort in her stomach. Her mom, Mary-Jane, checked on her sensing something was wrong, and Brianna explained “I’m fine Mom - my stomach is just upset from the burgers we had last night.” Mary-Jane kissed her and went to work not...

02 July, 2019
EMS Behind the Scenes:  Compassion fatigue impacts us all

By Stuart McKinnon, Deputy Chief, Muskoka Paramedic Services. I am writing this while looking outside at one of our first sunny days of spring.  It’s funny how just a little sunshine and a break in the spring rain showers can heighted the mood of everyone around us.  Stay tuned….we will be complaining about the unrelenting heat in no time. It’s been a tough winter for first responders, dispatchers, and our friends at our nearby hospitals.  Emergency types haven’t changed though, as we’ve seen...

17 June, 2019
Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services Innovative Smart Glasses Technology

Paramedics are limited to voice communication when relaying medical information to receiving hospital emergency departments.  The ability to transfer data to and from hospitals or emergency operation centres is very limited.  In addition, paramedics are limited to bulky laptops in the ambulance for patient documentation.  This impacts patient care as the paramedic is not in continuous visual contact with the patient and is limited to the amount of medical information they can share.  There is no visual data being transmitted...

10 June, 2019
Who are paramedics?

When paramedics tell people their profession, they inevitably get one of two answers: “That’s so cool!” or “I could never do your job.” In further discussion, paramedics often find that their role is not clear in the public’s mind. Perhaps the solution is for us to think about the question differently, and instead of stating our profession, we can explain who we ARE. WE ARE PARAMEDICS. We are emergency responders.   We ensure that when you or your loved one calls for medical...

27 May, 2019