Essex-Windsor EMS Welcomes 24 Paramedics at Commencement Ceremony

Essex-Windsor EMS officially welcomed 24 part-time paramedics Monday at a commencement ceremony held in Council Chambers at the County of Essex Administration Building.

The paramedics were presented with Chief’s Coins and certificates and had epaulettes added to their uniforms, in several cases by family members who were also paramedics or first responders. The room was packed with friends, colleagues and beaming loved ones, many of them filming the ceremony with their smartphones.

“To the families, friends, and loved ones of our newest paramedics – thank you. Your support is the foundation that makes this moment possible. Behind every uniform is a story, a set of sacrifices, and a circle of people who help carry the weight of this work. Your presence here today matters,” said Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers.

“Paramedicine is a profession that will test you, shape you, and at times, stretch you. The toughest parts of this job are not always in the textbooks. Sometimes they are there in the quiet moments afterward, the reflection, the doubt, the weight you carry home. You will meet people on the worst days of their lives. And you will also work beside people who may be carrying things you will never see. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer is not a medication or a procedure, it is patience and kindness.”

The service welcomed 20 new part-time paramedics who recently finished their 4-week orientation program and another four paramedics who finished their orientation last autumn.

“Meeting the standards required to join Essex-Windsor EMS is no small accomplishment, and today is a celebration of your hard work, commitment and perseverance,” said Warden Hilda MacDonald. “You have spent countless hours learning, training and preparing yourselves for a profession that asks a great deal of the people who choose it. You are stepping into a role that demands skill, professionalism, compassion and resilience. On behalf of Essex County Council and the residents we serve, thank you for choosing this path.”

County of Essex CAO Sandra Zwiers told the graduating recruits they were “joining an organization that values professionalism, teamwork, innovation and public service” and that their Chief is a “passionate advocate for both the service and the paramedics who deliver outstanding care, every day, on ever shift, to the residents of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island.”

Lammers encouraged the new paramedics to “lead with kindness” and to “treat every patient with the same care you would give someone you love.”