On June 6, The Shield Journal awarded the first of its 2022 bi-annual Community Safety Grants to the Rideau Lakes Fire Department (RLFD) after a catastrophic fire destroyed their station in Portland, Ont. On Dec. 21, 2021, RLFD Chief Scott Granahan was at home when he received an alert in the late afternoon from the…
Last updated on June 14th, 2022
With new Mission Critical Push-to-X voice, video and data communications tech, First Responders can manage emergency situations with greater awareness Samsung Networks and TELUS have partnered to launch Canada’s first next-generation Mission Critical Push-to-X (MCPTX) services for Canadian First Responders. Deployed over TELUS’ globally recognized network, this new MCPTX technology will equip Canada’s public safety…
Last updated on March 25th, 2022
When a person is struggling with their mental health, even one small gesture of care and kindness can make all the difference in the world. Just the knowledge that there is one person out there who truly cares can give a person in crisis the motivation they need to begin walking the road toward healing.…
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…
Former Correctional Officer Pattie Atwell enjoyed a fulfilling 10-year career at a Women’s Correctional Centre in Headingly, MB, but an occupational stress injury in 2017 sent her into a slow spiral with unexpected consequences she couldn’t have foreseen until it was too late. “I didn’t have any idea that I was getting sick,” says Atwell.…
Canada has one of the highest education rates in the world. Despite this, one in six Canadians struggle with everyday reading and writing. This statistic climbs higher still when you examine literacy rates inside Canadian penitentiaries. According to a fact sheet by The Literacy and Policing Project, 79 per cent of offenders entering Canadian correctional…
If you saw them in the street, you probably wouldn’t recognize them. They don’t carry a gun or wear a shiny badge. They don’t drive an ambulance, a patrol car, or a fire truck. They are often working when most people are home in their beds. They are missing family functions, dance recitals and school…
As the substance abuse crisis continues to rage across Canada, correctional institutions across the country are feeling the strain. According to a 2020 report by Dalhousie University, opioid-related deaths inside correctional facilities are on a steady incline. In 2017 alone, there were 70 overdoses inside Canadian prisons. A 2016 report by CMAJ Open found that…
It goes without saying that answering emergency calls and dispatching field responders to events is emotionally taxing work. However, it is often the unseen work-life balance issues that create the greatest levels of stress for telecommunicators. Due to staffing shortages and high turnover, emergency telecommunicators are frequently asked to work overtime. This involves either staying…
Last updated on February 11th, 2022
Though working as a First Responder is undoubtedly fulfilling, it doesn’t come without a price. The mental health and well-being of First Responders and front-line workers is more important than ever as they face unprecedented stress and pressure while dealing with the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. This is in addition to the usual trauma First Responders…
