HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-09-08, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005. PAGE 17.
Pioneering paramedics graduate as ACPs
By Mark Nonkes
Goderich Signal-Star
"We finally made it.” paramedic
Joel Siebert said with a wide grin.
One of five pioneering
paramedics. Siebert and his
colleagues celebrated two years of
hard work when they graduated as
the first certified Advanced Care
Paramedics (ACPs) in Huron
County last Thursday.
The group, consisting of Siebert,
Tony Southwell, Greg Schwindt, Art
MacNaughton and Melissa Springett
will now be able to administer
special services on scene that most
paramedics are not allowed to do.
"The results have been seen and
will be seen for the years to come,”
Siebert said in his address at the
graduation ceremony at the
Goderich Courthouse Park.
As ACPs, the paramedics are able
to start an IV drip, intibate patients,
run cardiac arrest units, administer
comfort drugs and provide diabetics
with drugs to stop seizures.
“The bar for health care in rural
Ontario has been raised,” said David
Lew. manager of Huron County’s
ambulance services.
Students endured two years of
tests, field work, training and in
classroom sessions to gain the status.
"They had to write an entrance
exam and an exam pretty much
every week.” said Todd Martin of
Huron County’s ambulance service.
“It’s pretty high stress, it’s not a first
aid course.”
The course, based off the Toronto
Emergency Medical Services
system, was especially modified for
the rural setting. It involved two-
days a week of classroom activity
for five months, four months of
hospital work in Owen Sound to
refine all the skills they learned
about and the ride along with a fully
qualified ACP for 50 calls. During
this time, the five paramedics also
worked full time.
“Huron County should be
extremely proud of the work these
individuals have done in improving
the level of services,” said Bic
Chawla, education program manager
for Toronto Emergency Medical
Services who also attended the
graduation.
“Six years ago I frequently
doubted we’d ever see a day like
this,” said Dr. Dan Eby. who trained
the paramedics in Owen Sound.
Dr. Eby said that during that time
it was considered an ineffective
and impractical idea for a rural
area.
“Fortunately it’s changed,” he said
in a speech from the bandstand.
“The people of your county will be
given the same level of care as the
cities.”
Mike Muir, who helped run the
program, said all five of the students
did extremely well and scored above
average on their exams.
“It’s always difficult to be the first
ones through a training program,”
Muir said, “as paramedics learning
never ends.”
A second class of five paramedics
will start the process of becoming
ACPs on Sept. 19. Eventually,
Martin said he hoped, there will be
about 21 or 22 ACP practising in
Huron.
Achievement
From left: Tony Southwell, Art MacNaughton, Melissa Springett, Greg Schwindt and Joel
Siebert graduate as the first Advanced Care Paramedics in Huron County at a ceremony in
Goderich last week. (Signal Star photo)
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