By Spencer Sterritt

Parkland Ambulance paramedics and dispatchers honoured with awards

Dec 23, 2015 | 5:42 AM

In the chaos of trying to save a life, paramedics and their dispatchers can be forgotten about or ignored, in favour of doctors and nurses, but their roles are critical.

Four workers at Prince Albert Parkland Ambulance recently had their efforts recognized.

Seth Helm won the Employee of the Year award. Danielle Henry and Jessica Masserey shared the Telecommunicator of the Year award. Steve Youden was declared Rookie of the Year.

“It’s an award that all the employees vote on, so I think that’s kinda special,” Helm said. “You strive to be a good employee every year, but when you’re recognized by your peers it’s pretty cool.”

Helm previously won Rookie of the Year during his second year with Parkland Ambulance. He’s currently taking the advanced care paramedic program at Saskatchewan Polytech.

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Masserey has also won Rookie of the Year, as well as the Stars of Life award.

This is the first award for Henry.

“All the people we work with here deserve an award,” Henry said. “It was quite honouring and kinda exciting. I was working the day they were handed out, so everyone would come in and say ‘congratulations’ and I’d say ‘for what?’”

Paramedics and dispatchers are the front line of health care.

Helm said it’s a challenge to have a positive attitude all the time, but that was what he loved most about the job.

“We see people having the worst day of their life… Also, it’s no secret P.A. has a problem with addictions and alcohol abuse. Seeing that day after day is a little frustrating too. The job’s a challenge and I find it very interesting still after nine years.”

He said every day is different, even if the calls are the same. “You could run five chest pain calls in a row and they’ll be all different.”

Masserey called Helm an incredibly humble and genuine person. “There’s nobody that doesn’t like Seth.”

Every day is different for dispatchers as well, especially when people start telling their life story while on the line. Masserey said they’ll often hear private and personal details about the patient’s life. Because the person on the other end is scared and hyped up on adrenaline.

One of their biggest challenges is people being abrasive or rude over the phone. That’s one challenge the dispatchers take in stride.

“We just have to remember that this is…the worst day of their life. They’re not mad at us. They’re scared.”

Dispatchers also have to worry about children calling in an emergency, since they often don’t know exactly where they live or where they are. Callers speaking a different language can also be challenging.

Helm said dispatchers are his “lifeline to everything. They play a big role in keeping us safe too. If they’re on the phone and they hear anything crazy going on in the background, screaming or yelling, they’ll let us know.”

“I think we all do it as a team,” Masserey said. “You couldn’t work without the street side, and you couldn’t do it without the communication side.”

“We work with and for a great bunch of people, and for more that’s the greatest thing,” Henry said.

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