What is a First Responder?
A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack.
Paramedics ( EMT )
A paramedic is a specialist healthcare professional who responds to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics mainly work as part of the emergency medical services, most often in ambulances.
Firefighters
A firefighter is a rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property and the environment as well as to rescue people and animals from dangerous situations.
Police Services
A police officer, also known as an officer, policeman, or a policewoman is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, “police officer” is a generic term not specifying a particular rank.
Search and Rescue
The Canadian Armed Forces Search and Rescue Techs are highly-trained men and women capable of giving advanced pre-hospital medical care up to national paramedic primary care standards.
911 Operators
A 911 dispatcher answers incoming calls pertaining to both emergency and non-emergency situations. A dispatcher needs to be able to multi-task and remain calm while communicating necessary information to a caller who may be in crisis.
Border Security Officers
A police officer, also known as an officer, policeman, or a policewoman is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, “police officer” is a generic term not specifying a particular rank.
Corrections Officers
A police officer, also known as an officer, policeman, or a policewoman is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, “police officer” is a generic term not specifying a particular rank.
The Shield Journal - Volume 1
The inaugural edition of The Shield Journal was published in November 2021, and featured the First Community Safety Grant Winner, First Responders of the Year, and so much more.
Features:
- The Shield Journal: Community Safety Grant – Lanark Highlands Fire Department
- First Responders of the Year - 2020
- Forging the Shield
- The Call I'll Never forget - 911 Operators
And so much more!
First Responder of the Year: 2021
Photo submitted by Dan Kress
Winner: Dan Kress
Nominated by: Bryce Brunarski
Congratulations to Dan Kress, our official First Responder of the Year for 2021! Dan was nominated by his former colleague at Niagara EMS, Bryce Brunarski, for his unyielding compassion, class and dignity in the field over his impressive 36 year career as an Advanced Care Paramedic.
“Although Dan is a man of stature, he is soft-spoken and truly gave all patients a sense of calm and confidence on the job with each and every call he responded to, regardless of the urgency,” Brunarski says. “He treated his patients and their families, co-workers and allied agencies with compassion and dignity, earning the respect of all he made contact with. Dan is a bigger guy as mentioned, so it was always funny among co-workers to see Dan report to work in his very small and very yellow Smart Car. He’s got a big heart and Niagara was lucky to have him serving for 36 years.”
Dan’s esteemed career began in March of 1985 with the Welland District Ambulance service. As part of his education, Dan was assigned as a student to a crew whose responsibility was to educate and help him obtain road experience. But on one overnight shift when a fellow crew member called in sick, Dan’s student placement became an opportunity to really show his supervisor what he was made of.
First Responder of the Year Award
Do you know a first responder who deserves recognition for their services to the community? Now is your chance to nominate them for our First Responder of the Year award! We will be choosing one to three winners to feature in our upcoming edition as our official First Responders of the Year. Please email submissions@theshieldjournal.ca with your submission, or message us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Archives
Constable Jeremy Shaw poses for a photo outside the Calgary Police Headquarters in Calgary on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. Constable Shaw is an advocate for raising awareness about the first responders suicide prevention. Azin Ghaffari / jpg
First responders not immune to scourge of suicide
Const. Jeremy Shaw knows first-hand the grim reality of suicide after witnessing it as a first responder and losing three of his Calgary police colleagues who took their own lives.
Shaw said the police force is struggling with suicide within its ranks and, after 16 years on the job, he believes there needs to be greater awareness for officers struggling with mental-health issues.
“If we’re broken ourselves there’s no way we are going to be able to help other people in similar situations,” Shaw said. “First and foremost, we have to keep care of ourselves and each other to make sure we provide the best service to Calgarians.”
Source: Calgary Herald