A dozen heroic teams were presented awards for bravery Monday afternoon at the Government House in Regina, including first responders who were on scene following the tragic school shooting in La Loche, Sask.
Darryl Morin and Kalvin Jones received a bronze medal of bravery from Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Vaughn Solomon Schofield.
The pair of paramedics from the Keewatin Yatthe Regional Health Authority were the first to respond to Dene High School in La Loche on January 22, 2016.
Morin and Jones arrived to a somewhat unknown scenario where a shooter had opened fire inside the high school, and was still at large.
READ MORE: 4 dead in La Loche, Saskatchewan school shooting
The Royal Canadian Humane Association of Bravery Awards noted the two men also, “had the foresight to alert Saskatchewan Air Ambulance STARS to the potential of casualties.”
Both were very humble about receiving the award and described how the shooting has affected their lives.
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Morin, a paramedic veteran of 16 years said he has not permanently been back to work since the incident.
“Trying to get back to work, working on a plan to return back to work.”
He added the return to work is something he is looking forward to, but also anxious about.
READ MORE: La Loche shootings: Sask. judge lifts publication ban on identifying survivors
Kalvin Jones reflected on the day that triggered his diagnoses of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD).
“There was a lot of chaos happening at the time,” Jones remembered, adding that the day started out just like any other.
Both Morin and Jones have been dealing with emotional recoil since the shooting.
“We saw RCMP officers running into the building, then they called us in after that,” Jones said.
“During that time I had a bit of a scare, one of the students opened up a door and startled me while I was doing CPR and I still have dreams of that every now and then but it’s gotten a lot better since.”
The paramedic pair assisted many seriously injured victims at the scene, including inside the school while the shooter had not yet been identified.
“We trust that the RCMP would keep us secure so they lead the way, and we went in and we did the best we could,” Jones said.
Both were noted to have gone above and beyond their duties by continuing medical assistance with patient care at hospital as well.
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