Red Cross Rescuer Awards

The Manitoba Division of the Canadian Red Cross held their annual Rescuer Award presentations ceremony today at the Portage Ave office in Winnipeg. The Rescuer Awards are presented to non-professional rescuers or off-duty first responders who have assisted in a rescue attempt or provided help in an emergency situation. Awards were presented to eight Manitobans on November 1st to mark the first day of CPR month.

The Paramedic Association of Manitoba has become one of the largest Red Cross Authorized Providers in the province. More than 70 PAM members currently teach under our AP umbrella. As a result of that relationship I was asked to deliver the opening remarks at today's event and assist with the presentation of the Rescuer Awards.

It was an honour to have been asked to participate in this event, and while I expected to hear some remarkable stories about rescue attempts and by-stander first aid, I underestimated the emotional content of the day. Not only were the award recipients on hand to be acknowledged, but so too were many of the victim's family members...some of whom had lost loved ones in these incidents.

The father of an 18 year old driver killed in a vehicle rollover near Austin, Manitoba in April was on hand to convey his appreciation publicly to Dr. Jon Gerrard, Gerrard's wife Naomi and retired nurse Carolyn Stuart. These three individuals were first on scene at the accident and performed CPR and scene control while awaiting the arrival of emergency services.

In March of 2007 a middle-aged father of two young boys collapsed at home while talking on the phone. The boys called 911 and with the direction and help of the dispatcher performed CPR on their father until paramedics arrived. I'm not sure of the age of these young men, but I would estimate them to be about 8 and 11 years old. Their mother spoke briefly to the crowd of about 60 people gathered to observe the presentations, and I doubt there was a dry eye in the room.

As paramedics, most if not all of us have seen the efforts of relatives, friends and by-standers to help prior to or after we arrive on scene. The Rescuer Awards are an excellent opportunity to pay tribute to individuals that have gone "above and beyond", whether the outcome is successful or not. The awards also give public attention to the importance of first aid and CPR training. But even more importantly, they provide an excellent vehicle to allow those most affected by the emergency to acknowledge these individuals for their efforts.

The next time you come across a remarkable example of someone going out of their way to help at your scene, let us know. PAM is currently working on a recognition and awards program...but we'll continue to support the Red Cross Rescuer Awards as well.