Paramedic Services Week wrapped up Saturday at the Simcoe County Museum, with the public getting a chance to get up close and personal with local first-responderes to show what they have and how they help.
The County of Simcoe Paramedic Services held its Meet the Fleet event today at the museum on Highway 26 as a way for the residents to see just what the local paramedic organization does and how.
The family-friendly event provided with tours of paramedic services vehicles, including ambulances, rapid response units, mobile command unit, UTV, public access defibrillator vehicle and more.
Staff were also on-site to answer questions, lead tours and educate the public.
Deputy chief of logistics Shane Smith said the paramedics brought out all they could for the public to see.
“It’s really cool to allow people to see what we have as far as equipment, because most folks only know the regular ambulance, they see during an emergency call,” said Smith. “At events like this, we bring everything out and the public can get a close-up look at what we have.”
Along with equipment on-hand, paramedics were talking about the different programs the public may not know are available.
The community paramedic program is a home-visit program where paramedics go to the homes of patients who have chronic diseases or issues and help them be proactive before an emergency is called in.
Smith said the program is a win-win for patients who use the it, but also for those who are looking for help at local hospitals.
“We go to patients who regularly need our services and talk to them about their prescriptions, ensure they’re working with their family physician or help them get equipment for their home like support bars,” said Smith.
“This not only lowers the calls to emergency services, but also assists in keeping much-needed hospital beds open.”
The highlight of Smith’s day was the many kids who got to blare the siren and participate in the passport collecting and games.
“Both my parents were in the paramedic field, so I was these little kids running around with smiles on their faces,” said Smith.
“Growing up, there weren’t events like this, but now it is days like this that may plant the seed for a child to want to grow up and be a paramedic.”
