A half dozen Chatham-Kent paramedics were in Toronto this week to receive medals for 30 years of outstanding service.
Mike Goncalves, Ken Lewis, Kerry Nantais, Dwayne Purdy, James Sinclair, and Joseph Vancoillie were presented with the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal at a ceremony in Queen's Park Wednesday.
The award is part of the Canada Honours System and Donald MacLellan, general manager of Chatham-Kent Emergency Services, said they are given for more than just 30 years of service."It recognizes their exemplary manner and talents to perform their duties," MacLellan said. "Also to serve their communities outside of work hours. It is quite a pristine award."
MacLellan added having members with so much experience is incredibly valuable to the team in Chatham-Kent.
"It is a skill and a quality that can't be beaten," MacLellan said. "We see and do many things throughout this profession and bringing that experience and wealth of knowledge to the table is invaluable."
He added the veterans are mentors to new staff because they have seen it all and are highly aware of their surroundings in any situation. MacLellan said one of the most important qualities for someone to have in the industry is confidence, which can only be built over time. He added that, while some of the recipients have worked elsewhere, most of them spent the entire 30 years in Chatham-Kent.
"These folks are from the community," MacLellan said. "They've invested their time and their families are here. They're committed to doing such a great job here and they've built resilience over the years."
While only Muskoka had more recipients than Chatham-Kent and bigger centres like Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa had one, or none, MacLellan said it doesn't mean paramedics here are under less stress.
"I think it is more of a timing thing with the percentage of people in each community eligible for the award," MacLellan said. "It doesn't matter where you work in this industry, the pressures and the stress are equal across the board in my opinion. It's how we deal with them and how we react to situations is what allows us to be in this profession as long as we can."
All the CK recipients were awarded the First Bar for 30 years of service and will be eligible for the Second Bar if they can make it to 40 years.
The Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal was created in 1994 as part of a national recognition program for people in high-risk jobs that enhance public safety.
Police, firefighters, corrections officers, Coast Guard members and peace officers are also eligible for exemplary service medals.