Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Medals Awarded
Three Nova Scotia paramedics were presented with the Exemplary Service Medal for Emergency Medical Services by Mayann Francis, lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, today, Aug. 2, at Province House in Halifax.
The exemplary service medals recognize those persons in high-risk professions who have dedicated themselves to preserving Canada's public safety through long and outstanding service. These national medals are part of the Canadian honours system, and are awarded though the chancellery of honours, a branch of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.
The Emergency Medical Services Medal is one of the newest in the Exemplary Services Medal family, joining other public safety professions: police, corrections, fire services, Canadian Coast Guard and peace officer.
The Emergency Medical Exemplary Service Medal was created in 1994 to recognize professionals in the provision of pre-hospital emergency services who have performed their duties in an exemplary manner. To be considered for this award, a paramedic must have been employed with an emergency medical service on or after Oct. 31, 1991, and have completed 20 years of exemplary service, including at least 10 years in the performance of duties involving potential risk.
The 2007 winners of the Exemplary Service Medal for EMS are: Terrance Douglas Turnbull, a primary care paramedic in Truro, Gerald Parfitt, an intermediate care paramedic in the Western Region/Communications and John Lewis, an intermediate care paramedic in Cape Breton.
Mr. Turnbull has been working in the ambulance service in the Truro region since 1985. He is well known by his colleagues as an avid volunteer and leader, leading the Truro Haunted House fundraiser for many years, and volunteering with the Canadian Ski Patrol, Medical First Responders and Canadian Red Cross.
Mr. Parfitt began his career in 1978 in the Windsor-West Hants region. Over the course of his career, he has helped to initiate the Emergency Medical Attendant - advanced training programs in Windsor, and has been a medical first responder instructor. He was also a paramedic instructor and now serves as the clinical co-ordinator at the Maritime School of Paramedicine.
Mr. Lewis began his career in 1978 and is a well-known leader among the Cape Breton paramedic community, as a past crew chief and a long-standing supervisor. Mr. Lewis has been a leader in a paramedic peer-referral program, part of the employee assistance program, and has been awarded the Canadian Medal for Bravery for a heroic act performed while on-scene as a bystander.
"The awards will serve as an important part of recognizing a paramedic's exemplary service to the citizens of Nova Scotia, both now and in the future," said Jan Jensen, advanced care paramedic with Emergency Health Services and chair of the Nova Scotia Paramedics Awards Committee.
Emergency Health Services is a division of the Department of Health. It is responsible for the continual development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of pre-hospital emergency health services in the province. In November 2004, the province's ground ambulance system became the first Canadian ambulance service accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. It recognizes Nova Scotia's ground ambulance system as the best in Canada and one of the best in North America.