Photo courtesy Everything GP Staff
Paramedic Appreciation
National Paramedic Services Week
May 22, 2022 | 1:00 PM
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May 22-28 is National Paramedic Services Week which honours the Emergency Medical Services professionals that provide vital public service.
More than 589,000 9-1-1 events are responded to each year by approximately 5,600 EMS staff and paramedics, which equals out to around 1,600 calls per day.
Paramedics are often the first point of contact for a patient entering the healthcare system and offer services to them in a variety of ways, including:
- Incident Response Paramedics, who can offer specialized care during large-scale or extended incidents, such as structure fires, as well as care for patients who may have suffered from contamination, such as carbon monoxide or chemical exposures.
- Flight Paramedics provide air medical care to patients requiring immediate acute care during transfers between larger centres as well as transfers of other ill or injured patients who require movement to a higher acuity facility. Airport Paramedics at both Calgary and Edmonton International Airports also provide emergency medical support to travelers and use specially equipped Segways for rapid response.
- Tactical Emergency Medical Support paramedics work with law enforcement to provide immediate advanced life support care during high-risk police operations.
- Community Paramedics are specially trained to provide short-term treatment for patients in their own homes under the medical direction of Physicians and Nurse Practitioners. This can include antibiotic administration, blood transfusions, and hydration therapy.
- Emergency Communications Officers answer 911 requests for EMS service and initiate the EMS emergency response to the scene; they also provide pre-arrival instructions over the phone such as how to perform CPR or relieve a choking emergency or assist with childbirth.
- Rapid Access Paramedics, who respond on specially equipped mountain bikes to provide first response advanced life support in congested and crowded areas, such as events and festivals, where standard vehicle access may be challenging.
