Greater Sudbury celebrates Paramedic Services Week

Sudbury celebrates Paramedic Services Week, honouring both retirees and new hires. The local chief cites recruitment challenges despite 35,000 annual calls.

It’s Paramedic Services Week and on May 19, Greater Sudbury recognized and celebrated the dedicated paramedics who serve the community.

Gino St. Jean, who is now retired, said he started in 1989 and has seen paramedicine evolve through the years.

“When I started, we had oxygen and a blanket,” St. Jean said.

“Then it progressed forward to a defibrillator (and) being able to give some medication. And then up to today, doing cardioversion, intubation, IVs and a plethora of medication and other things that we can do to help people stay at home rather than always going to the (emergency department).

While he said there were “ups and downs” in his years of service, one thing stayed the same.

“The best moments were making a difference and taking care of people,” St. Jean said.

Jorja Weicker, who is new to the profession, said he just wants to be working in the field helping people.

“Doing what I can to help everybody at what they would consider the worst points in their lives,” Weicker said.

“I consider it an honour and a privilege to be able to do that for them.”

About 35,000 calls in Sudbury a year

The theme for this year’s week is ‘Better Care Starts Here.’

Aaron Archibald, the city’s chief of paramedic services, said they handle about 35,000 calls a year.

“We’ll have upwards of anywhere between 1,500 to 2,000 patients rostered in our community paramedic program,” Archibald said.

“So we’re doing everything from offering clinics to shelters, integrated into housing units.”

With the 10 new hires sworn in at a May 19 ceremony, Greater Sudbury now has around 200 people working in paramedic services.

While staffing levels are stable right now, Archibald said recruitment and retention continue to be a challenge.

Especially knowing that the population is growing but also aging rapidly in the community.

“We work very closely with our community colleges and partners here to ensure that once we hire new staff, they’re onboarded and are committed,” he said.

“Hopefully they will make Sudbury their home.”

City council has also voted to fund an advanced care paramedic program. Archibald said 11 staff will graduate this fall through the partnership with College Boreal.