23 Paramedics Recognized for Exemplary Service
NOTE: The list of paramedics who were awarded medals follows this release.
Twenty-three Nova Scotia paramedics have been awarded the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal, a national honour in recognition of their longtime dedication to the health, safety and well-being of Nova Scotians.
The paramedics honoured today, May 10, have dedicated their careers to providing care to people in their time of greatest need, sometimes at their own personal risk.
“During the pandemic, emergency medical services have been crucial to the province. I have no doubt the past two years tested the endurance of many,” said Lt.-Gov. Arthur J. LeBlanc, who presented the medals at a ceremony in Halifax. “It has been inspiring to witness countless examples of care and compassion during times of uncertainty. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the men and women who provide pre-hospital emergency care to Nova Scotians.”
Emergency Medical Services professionals can be nominated for the medal by their peers or the public. Recipients must have demonstrated exemplary service in their careers for at least 20 years, including 10 years in an emergency medical services position that involves risk.
Quotes:
“Being a paramedic is about looking someone in the eye who is having a really bad day and letting them know that I’m here for them. In my 25 years as a paramedic, I have seen an enormous shift as the profession has evolved and its scope of practice increased, with much of this change informed by evidence. However, while paramedicine is driven by data and informed practice, there has been one constant I have observed over the last 25 years, and that is a paramedic’s ability to genuinely care about another person in the most austere of environments and under the most unpredictable of circumstances.”
– Sean Teed, medal recipient in Halifax Regional Municipality
Quick Facts:
- Queen Elizabeth II created the Exemplary Service Medal in 1994
- it is part of a national recognition program for people who work in high-risk jobs that enhance Canada's public safety
- police, firefighters, corrections officers, coast guard members and peace officers are also eligible for exemplary service medals
- the medal is part of the Canadian honours system
Additional Resources:
More information on the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal is available at: https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/directory-honours/exemplary-service-medals/emergency-medical-services-exemplary-service-medal
More information on Canadian honours is available at: https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours
The paramedics who received medals are:
- Richard Baglole, Wileville, Lunenburg County
- Paul Blake, Port Maitland, Yarmouth County
- Gilles Boudreau, Dartmouth
- Brian Bunch, Greenwich, Kings County
- Prema Cooper, White’s Lake, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Omar Corsetti, Halifax
- Darcy DeLorey, Antigonish
- Thomas Dobson (posthumous), Tantallon
- Gary Galley, Welsford, Kings County
- Judah Goldstein, Hammonds Plains
- Jan Jensen, Cow Bay, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Frank Johnston, Goodwood, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Loralei MacIntosh, Halifax
- Jamie MacKinnon, Dieppe, New Brunswick (Mr. MacKinnon works in Nova Scotia)
- Graham McAllister, Middle Sackville
- Todd Mills, Truro
- Victor Murphy, North River, Colchester County
- Gerald Parfitt, Falmouth, Hants County
- Bruce Parks, Lunenburg
- Maureen Sturgeon, Beaver Bank
- Scott Sturgeon, Beaver Bank
- Sean Teed, Glen Haven, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Greg Wolfe, Bedford