It’s a tough job to get: the chance to save another’s life, to administer comfort, to attend to the needs of those in some of the direst circumstances of their lives. It takes months of study and rigorous training, and a special ‘something’ that can’t be learned.
Being a paramedic is a hard job, period. But for six new part-time emergency services workers, it’s what they wanted more than anything else. They were welcomed into the Peterborough paramedic team on Sunday, after beating almost 200 others in the selection process.
“We did a lot of verbal scenarios with the paramedics to see how their skill sets seem to match with what our needs were,” said Peterborough Paramedic chief Randy Mellow. “Also, more in a humanistic community to see how they would fit in with our community, how they would fit in with our service.”
Paramedics respond to high-intensity calls, but much of what paramedics are called to do in the Peterborough area reflects the area’s aging population.
“Probably another 90 per cent on top of that are just typical calls we see with our elderly community, and it takes a different set of skills, it takes a lot of care and compassion,” Mellow added.
New recruit Ryan Khuth said he’s already learned that he needs an eclectic skill set.
“Just thinking quick on your feet, some really good people skills, because it’s one of the surprising things out there, dealing with people and learning how to talk to them.”
The new paramedics begin their jobs this month.
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