(Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers gave this address at the beginning of the 11th Annual Survivor Day ceremony held May 24, 2024. The ceremony celebrated survivors of trauma and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in 2023. Read the Survivor Day stories shared and see photos of the survivors and responders who were reunited at the event.)
Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us today at our 11th annual Survivor Day ceremony. I’m grateful to be here in this moment with all of you.
As many in the room know, Survivor Day is a long-standing tradition within our first responder community, and for many of us, myself included, it’s the best day of the year. It’s an opportunity to provide recognition to the valiant resuscitation efforts that go into battling out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Paramedics, firefighters, police officers, communications officers, nurses and bystanders. Bystanders. Think about the mountains we can move with bystanders. Training members of the public to simply “do something” when the time comes can have a profound effect on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. A special thank you to those bystanders in the room today who stood up when the opportunity presented. We’re working hard to identify AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in the community, getting more installed and training the public on how to use them.
Today, we’re celebrating the fruits of everyone's efforts, the results of a system working as designed and, most importantly, giving humans a second chance at life. To our valued friends and colleagues at the Windsor Central Ambulance Communications Centre, the eight municipal fire departments, Windsor Police, Lasalle Police and OPP, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Healthcare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and all other agencies that play an integral part in the health and well-being of our community: what a team. We’re not making widgets here. We’re making a difference in people's lives. Much respect to all of you for showing up every day and continuing to push forward. These are not easy times.
To the members of Essex County Council who are with us today: we are incredibly grateful for your support and we feel you standing behind us. We know there is only so much you can do but, most importantly, we know that you understand and respect our mission. We couldn’t ask for anything more.
For the survivors who have joined us, I thank you for being here. Your presence means the world to everyone who is here to meet you again, albeit under different circumstances. You are the end users of a system whose sole purpose is to preserve life and decrease suffering. For the cases we will hear about today, mission accomplished. For the cases we won’t hear about today, those whose outcomes were unfortunately different, we see you. The first responders who were there that day will carry your story for the rest of their lives. Rest assured that the team rallied in your moment but, unfortunately, fate took a different path.
It is Paramedic Services Week this week, and I’d like to take a quick minute to pay homage to the history of paramedicine.
The earliest record of patient transport dates back to 900 A.D., when patients who were suffering from psychiatric conditions or leprosy were transported on a cart.
In 1487, during the siege of Malaga, Queen Isabella of Spain commissioned bespoke bed wagons to transport injured soldiers from the battlefield to tent hospitals. The problem here was that injured solders were removed once the battle was done. The casualties were high.
In 1792, during the war of the First Coalition, Dominque Jean Larrey initiated field hospitals and army ambulance corps to quickly move the wounded to field hospitals
In 1832, the demand for help with removing ill and deceased victims during a deadly cholera outbreak in the Town of York, now known as Toronto, sparked the first organized form of ambulance transportation in Ontario.
In 1911, horse-drawn carriages became a thing of the past as the mechanical age began and the first motorized ambulance to operate in Ontario was produced. Interestingly enough, I’m pretty sure we could now get a horse and carriage quicker than it takes to build an ambulance these days, so we might want to look into that.
In 1966, Dr. Norman H. McNally, a retired army surgeon, was hired by the Province of Ontario to oversee the development of a balanced and integrated system of ambulance services.
In 1982, calling for help got easier when the Ontario-wide 911 telephone system went live. Before this, you would have to remember the seven-digit number that was unique for your area.
In 1984, advanced life support skills were brought to the street with the ability to start an IV, intubate and defibrillate.
In 1996, all Ontario paramedics were trained to defibrillate patients in cardiac arrest and the following year, were able to administer six medications to provide “symptom relief. For our survivors in the room, this means that 29 years ago, your treatment would have looked very different and without a doubt, the outcomes may not have been what they were.
Today, primary care paramedics can administer up to 22 medications and perform 11 controlled medical acts. Advanced care paramedics can administer up to 36 medications and perform 20 controlled medical acts. And that list is growing every year.
In 2020, the Ambulance Act changed to protect the word “paramedic” in Ontario. This was a big deal for us.
Reflecting on the rich history of paramedicine, it's clear that we stand on the shoulders of giants. From the early days of patient transport to the advanced medical interventions we perform today, our profession has come a long way. It is this legacy of innovation and compassion that drives us forward. Together, we will continue to honour the values of what it means to be a paramedic and to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. The future of paramedicine is indeed bright, and I am honoured to walk this path with all of you.
In closing, I sincerely thank all of you for being a part of this special day. When we leave here today, let's all carry forward the spirit of Survivor Day in our hearts and continue to make every effort to save lives and bring hope to those in need. Today provides us all with an opportunity to pause, to take stock of everything we have to be grateful for in our lives and to re-align what we think is important with what truly matters.
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