Promoting during the holidays

As you have seen via pictures on our site, and certainly comments on from your co-workers, members of MPHG have been busy. We've represented our great profession at different ceremonies/events this year. While a lot of difficult drills and an extreme amount personal time has been invested, we can say "it's been our pleasure". Our high visibility at events provides for great promotion of Paramedics in Manitoba and the causes Paramedics support.

We believe our involvement in events has also added to the great work Paramedics have already been doing. A great example is Operation Christmas Child. Paramedics from across Manitoba have been involved for years and this year was the first for MPHG. We were happy to lend our support. There are many other events Paramedics have done in the past (and continue doing). Hats off should go out to those Paramedics!!!

Which leads me to the reason for the title of this blog - there are many ways to promote during the holidays. As we all know, this is a busy season; not only call volume but also personal commitments. Some Paramedics have still found time to volunteer as a group for Operation Red Nose one night (great idea and sounds like a great time) and others volunteer with delivery of Christmas hampers. The simple act of making a difference by showing caring and "going that extra mile" for patients reflects positively on who we are and why we sacrifice our time in a most difficult job. Most of this is done with media fanfare or public recognition.

We just wanted to let you know, we are very proud of you!!!

Why go to Remembrance Day activities?

There seems to be an apathy about Remembrance Day (or at least it seems to me). I'm not sure why this is occurring as I believe remembering is the most important part of not repeating the past. While that seems obvious, some people view Remembrance Day simply as a day off. As Paramedics, why does a military day of honour matter to us?

Well, we must remember where we come from. While we are civilians in civilian services, our history comes from the military. Advances in trauma management come from treatment of soldiers during military conflict. The advent of "medics" became well established and proven during the Vietnam War. These medics proved immediate care by well trained non-physicians could alter patient outcomes in a positive way. Kinda sounds the way we promote ourselves doesn't it? While we are not military, we do have military roots.

This Remembrance Day, I would like to challenge Paramedics to attend a Remembrance Day event. Get permission and go in uniform. Honour those who have forged our profession under military conflict. Honour those who are Paramedics who died while serving in the military (i.e. Cpl Stalker of Calgary EMS). Honour those non-medics who fought for our freedom. Honour those for whom you care.

The MPHG will be at the Winnipeg Convention Centre for the Provincial Ceremony. Hope to see you there - demonstrating our profession understands honour.

This can't be true

Those words were spoken many times in the evening of September 18th when news broke that Manitoba had lost one of its Paramedics in a tragic motor vehicle collision.

Al Watson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, Paramedic and Manitoba Honour Guard Member, was killed while en route to his home in Swan Lake MB after completing his shift at Kinasota station in the Central Region RHA.

The news shook the paramedic community in the province, sparking an immediate outpouring of support to Al’s family and colleagues.

Tributes flooded in to Al’s family from near and far through word of mouth, phone calls and the World Wide Web offering condolences and at the same time sharing some of their personal experiences with Al, be it personal or professional.

As a proud inaugural member of the Manitoba Paramedic Honour Guard, Al’s family requested the assistance of the MPHG to conduct his service. We were proud to offer the family whatever assistance we could, all the while knowing that this service was going to be extremely difficult for us as a group.

Al was a friend within a very tight knit group that are proud to call themselves Guard Members. We have spent long hours together rehearsing our drill, fine tuning ourselves so we would be ready to honour a fallen comrade when the time. None of us could have ever imagined that we would soon lay our own brother to rest.

The morning of the service, Guard members departed Winnipeg and headed for the small community of Swan Lake, not quite sure what the day would hold in store for them. The logistics of the service has been worked out, but no one was quite sure of the emotional impact Al’s passing would have on us.

I am proud to say that EMS in this province came together during this tragedy and stood side by side to offer support to Al’s wife and family and well as coworkers. Paramedics attended from NEHA, SERHA, IRHA, Central RHA, Assiniboine, Parkland, Winnipeg as well as dispatchers from MTCC. Also in attendance were individuals representing various police and fire jurisdictions. The raw emotion felt when uniformed members gave a final salute to Al was something I will ever forget.

A big thank you to everyone who offered support during this difficult time, your assistance was invaluable.


Kevin Marten, MPHG Secretary

A "quiet" summer

Fortunately, we have only had one Canadian LODD (Canadian Forces medic Colin Wilmot). The US has had only 2. Relatively, it has been a "quiet" summer. That does not mean we haven't lost medics this summer. Quebec and Ontario have both lost members while they were on route to work. There has been uniform presence at both ceremonies even though they were not LODD.

Some question the appropriateness of such demonstrations of solidarity. We as Paramedics have been use to being outside of the public view for years and this is a change in behaviour. I would say a positive change in behaviour. While we are not traveling across the nation to attend these ceremonies, our local brethren in Quebec and Ontario have provided representation with honour. It is well documented the brotherhood of firefighters and police officers, it also exists in EMS. Our coworkers are our brothers and sisters that share incredible/indescribable experiences. Their loss is a loss to all of us. We care to show the public the honour we have for them - we do it by wearing our uniforms and providing the fallen's family any support they ask for. It is the least we can do.

While it has been a "quiet" summer on the LODD front, Paramedics have had to wear uniforms in times of grief for our fallen brothers and sisters.

Let's be safe out there...

There are many risks to being an EMS provider - blood borne pathogens, violent people, and uncontrolled, chaotic scenes to mention a few. We are witnesses to "things going bad" or "bad luck" everyday. While we are witnesses to such events, do we do anything to evaluate/educate ourselves in our protection?

Here in Manitoba, we celebrate the fact our government passed legislation for provision of a blood sample from a patient in the case of an exposure. This legislation allows providers to have some peace of mind. Hard work from the Paramedic Assn of Manitoba made this happen. They were the leaders in advocating such legislation to the benefit of all emergency providers. Congratulations PAM on your hard work resulting in our protection.

Unfortunately, we see how our world is becoming more violent. It is not only in the larger cities, but also in rural areas. We are all exposed to risks, in some ways rural practitioners are more at risk as back up is farther away. I must commend some Paramedics and their employers for recognizing these changes in our work places. Central RHA has evaluated a 5 day Paramedic Self Defense program. The City of Winnipeg EMS (yes, WEMS is their new, official name) provided a modified, one day seminar for all its Paramedics. As a participant of the WEMS program, I see the value in such a self defense program and would encourage all Paramedics to have their employer provide you with a similar program.

Chaotic scenes are "the norm" for us!!! It is a statement you hear however it instills a sense a complacency also. A evening rush hour crash with 2 trauma arrests and 2 other patients. A midday highway crash involving a car and 4 cyclists - 2 trauma arrests. And in the US, two medivac choppers crashing with 6 fatalities. These are all great news stories but for Paramedics we have more to the story. The carnage and the reactions of the public who witness it are also part of our memories. The risks taken (subconsciously) - rush hour traffic trying to get through your accident scene, highway traffic zooming by, and exploding helicopters injuring 2 Paramedics with the ground ambulances responding to the crash.

We need to keep in mind our safety. It weighs upon us greatly while becoming second nature. The events I described all occurred within the last 5 days. It is the nature of our work environment. We must also work hard to ensure we are not having "things going bad" or any "bad luck" as it may cost us our lives. Let's be safe out there....

Manitoba Loses Our of Our Own

The following is submitted by MPHG secretary, Kevin Martin.


On May 8, 2008, North-East EMS lost one of their colleagues in a tragic workplace accident at the Atomic Energy of Canada facility in Pinawa, Manitoba.

Mike Motycka, husband, father, biologist, paramedic and firefighter was killed while doing what he loved, working as a biologist. Shortly after the tragedy, the Manitoba Paramedic Honour Guard was requested to participate in the funeral ceremony by leading a parade of responders and dignitaries to pay homage to Mike and his family. After much planning, all the while ensuring the wishes of the family were paramount, it was decided the parade would occur through Lac du Bonnet from the ambulance station to the Civic Centre.

The morning of May 13, I arrived in Lac Du Bonnet, to be briefed on the parade route and events of the day. It had been decided that the RCMP would lead the procession followed by an ambulance and then by a fire engine. Immediately following was the Paramedic Honour Guard, proudly displaying the flags of our nation and province. Following close behind where the RCMP in their Red Serge, EMS and Fire from the community and the region. Closing up the rear were dignitaries from the community, provincial EMS and fire.

The parade proceeded as planned with many community members stopping to show their respects to Mike and his family. On our arrival at the civic centre, members of the parade formed up to allow Mike’s wife, Brenda, and his children to enter the centre while receiving a general salute from the parade. It was a very moving experience for everyone involved. Mourners then quickly took their seats so the service could proceed. The service was well attended and allowed family, friends and colleagues to say their goodbyes, yet reflect on their relationship with Mike.

This is the first time that the Honour Guard has been called on in our home province to lead such an event, and we hope that our efforts brought comfort to the family.

In closing, thanks to all who assisted in the planning of the service and parade and those who came and joined us to pay their respects to Mike’s family

My first MPHG trip

The following is from MPHG member, Wade Fisher, with his thoughts about MPHG's first activation for a LODD in B.C.

So, the day finally came when we had to put those fancy uniforms on. This is it; let’s show the country how hard we’ve practiced our drill training and how good we all look. Personally, I have never felt so proud. I have only been to one other Line of Duty Death and I did not have a proper uniform to wear. However, this time I did and I wore it proudly. I walked tall and represented my fellow brothers and sisters of Manitoba. Attending a Paramedic memorial service brings up lots of emotions, but add the fact he was only 39, four years older than I. It was a great honor to be in British Columbia representing Paramedics from Manitoba.

There were paramedics from all across Canada asking about our new uniforms and how great they looked. It was amazing to see paramedics from all over Canada socializing, sharing stories, and you come to realize that you are part of a huge family that extends from coast to coast. We all had the same concerns and complaints, but in the end we all still proceeded to go to work at the start of our shifts to make sure our communities are safe. It was neat to hear about some of the different practices that are going on in different parts of the country. I came to realize then, that we have our issues, but in the end, there is lots of good. Yes, we still have a long way to go, but we are getting there.

In closing, I would like to thank the executive members who without their hard work, I would not be able to say, “I am a Manitoba Paramedic Honor Guard Member”.

Wade Fisher
Paramedic
Lac Du Bonnet EMS

Is it safe?

Similar to the transportation is killing us post, is it safe is also a question that should be asked. Recent events make us consider safety and how do we deal with it. My experience is most of us deal with it badly; a fair amount of the poor dealing with safety is systematic problems that put us in harms way. The most recent multiple shooting incidents in Winnipeg and Toronto are great examples - Winnipeg had 6 shot (3 dead) and Toronto had 6 shot (1 dead). There are huge challenges in scenes like these and personal security is one of the biggest.

Think about it, entering a scene where there is a large police presence due to a shooting. You have waited done the street for a bit but now are being waved in by police. Arrive at the front door and simply have police officers pointing toward the house as they are trying to ascertain the situation outside. Going inside, there are multiple police officers assessing the situation with some providing CPR or other assistance to the injured until you arrive. As you are now trying to ascertain what other resources you need, police keep bring more injured to you or try to get you to go help another one. It is important that while the police have assured your safety, the situation could change in a heartbeat - deteriorating to where police may have to draw/fire their weapons (don't forget that if there are 24 police officers with you, there are at least 24 guns in the home).

You are not entering a "controlled environment" that most other health care providers enjoy. These types of situations leads to safety questions - where is the shooter (hopefully police do), unpredictable patients (are they the aggressors or the victims), is the patient carrying a concealed weapon, are there infectious disease concerns (hepatitis, etc)? Meanwhile, the training you recieved is shouting in your mind; be quick to keep your scene time down as patients need surgical intervention (the platinum 10 minutes of the golden hour). That is a lot to think about in addition to your treatment options and protocols. Add which hospital are you transporting to and all of a sudden personal security starts having to fight with other objectives.

Safety is our first consideration but it also needs to be an ongoing concern. There have been incidents where the Paramedics and Police were surprised by a shooter in a home (i.e. Steinbach, Manitoba). Transportation is our biggest killer but as the world is becoming more violent and the shootings aren't only in big U.S. cities anymore, we need to re-evaluate our security issues in order to protect ourselves. Some services in Canada (urban and rural) provide ballistic protection (vests) to Paramedics. Some provide self defense courses. What ever the reviews bring, we need to ensure everyone makes it home at the end of the shift.

EMS Week

I know it seems a long way away, but it is time to start thinking about EMS Week. EMS Week for Manitoba occurs the week after the May long. Our profession is the one that is the least in the public's eye = our efforts need to be stronger. This means everyone shares the responsibility for promoting our great profession.

The honour guard is proud to say that we're now ready. We have our uniforms and already have our first official event booked in May (details will follow in a few weeks). The Paramedic Assn of Mb is continuing it's generousity by hosting its Golf Tournament on May 21 (right in the middle of EMS Week = a one day break to recharge those PR batteries).

I am aware of many EMS providers that promote their profession well. There are the old standby of blood pressures and sugars but really is that what Paramedics are about? We all know it's more then basic skills - it's about providing medical care to patients in need while getting them to the ER. Paramedics start treatment that is continued in the hospital and are a valuable tool to health care; frequently improving the patient's condition before arrival at the ER. We are more then just a means of transport.

I challenge you in making EMS Week a week of promotion. When and if appropriate during patient care, you can speak about what Paramedics in Manitoba offer the citizens and challenges/rewards of being a paramedic. At a public relations event, try not to focus on only tours of ambulances but show off the treatment we provide. Get manikins out and explain procedures. I've heard of some Paramedics using EMS Week as an opportunity to get into classroooms and read to students (great idea).

Speaking of great ideas - why not share them? Email me your ideas and during the next couple of weeks I'll list the ideas on the MPHG website for all to see. Email me at info@mphg.ca. Have a great time planning - now's the time!!

transportation is killing us

A scary trend continues and has been prominent to begin this year. Paramedics are getting killed simply trying to get to or returning from calls. So far this year, 4 out of 5 LODD have been related to collisions. In Canada, luckily we have not had any LODD this year but we had a serious incident that had people concerned with the preliminary reports - a helicopter crash in Northern Ontario.

This is nothing new, according to research, EMS workers (Paramedics) are nearly 5 times more likely to die in collisions than the remainder of the population. All emergency personnel face higher risks from transportation collisions.The risk to Paramedics surpasses the risk for police officers and firefighters. But why are Paramedics so much higher when it comes to transportation?

I believe that if Paramedics were truly only "ambulance drivers", our risk would be lower (maybe that of a police officer - firefighters are the lowest of the group as a large, heavy truck offers some protection during collisions). However, Paramedics are more then just "ambulance drivers" - Paramedics provide care during transport that sometimes requires to be unsecured (no seatbelt) and therefore make for easy statistics. Ambulance designers have made improvements in the patient treatment area to protect Paramedics rendering care - more padding, rounded corners instead of sharp edges, safety nets, tether systems, etc. Even with these improvements, we still see occupational deaths related to collisions.

Another reason is Paramedics are not just found in ambulances. Responding in helicopters and airplanes have become common place. Some cities have Paramedics assigned to chase cars, boats, bicycles, and motorcycles. As you can see, Paramedics are going to get to you any way they can. That may be the problem, the "gotta get there 'cause someone needs us" mentality. This drive to provide care is possibly leading us down a higher risk path. Is it something thought about when the call comes? Probably not.

All Paramedics, like all other emergency responders, are trained with a "safety first" concept. The problem is many do not consider this until they are on scene when the question should start before the ignition of the vehicle is started.

Super Bowl Winners

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising effort. The support crossed professional ranks from firefighters, police officers, nurses, and doctors.

Congratulations to the following winners:

• First quarter - J. Milinkovic, Swan Lake, Mb and P. Mazur, Winnipeg
• Second quarter - J. Spence, Winnipeg and J. Klips, Winnipeg
• Third quarter - J. Spence, Winnipeg and J. Klips, Winnipeg
• Final Score - D. Janzen, Winkler, Mb and P. Sheffield, Swan Lake, Mb

more then "other emergency responders"

Lately, there seems to be a pattern emerging in local newspapers and on some radio stations - referencing to paramedics as "other emergency responders". I don't know how this term has developed or has become used. It may be in relation to the Manitoba Government's handling of the memorials for line of duty deaths (see the previous blog titled Paramedic Memorial ). Either way, at a time where paramedicine is increasing by leaps and bounds, the lack of recognition for our profession continues.

The question always arises - how do we address it? I know there have been multiple letters written with one published. The difficulty with such responses is that it is fractured and can come across as whining. Efforts from the Paramedic Association of Manitoba, unions representing us, and employers are trying to educate. What can we do as individuals to support those efforts? First, we can support their collective efforts. Always show professionalism when in the public eye. Attend public relations efforts such as EMS Week activities. Help the Manitoba Paramedic Honour Guard represent you (our long awaited uniforms will arrive soon).

Another way to increase our profile is a novel idea that I believe all of us can do. As you know, all PAM members receive the Canadian Emergency News magazine every 2 months. What do you do with CEN when you're done? I suggest you recycle it but not in the conventional way. Recycle it by donating it to an office. Yes, an office. We've all been in the waiting rooms looking at different old magazines or Reader's Digests. I suggest we add our CEN to that list. Ask your local politician, doctor, dentist, or other office if they would accept your magazine to add to their waiting room reading literature. We all want to raise our profile, this simple little activity would provide the public with an insight into our profession and it has a local flavour thanks to PAM's section at the back describing what's happening here in Manitoba.

There is no reason that PAM members cannot flood offices with CEN. A flood of information about EMS prior to EMS Week will definitely assist our profile. Having "Joe public" reading an EMS magazine will provide greater recognition than any media release. When "Joe public" knows who we are and what we do, the media will have no choice but to refer to paramedics as such because the public will not know who "other emergency responders" are.