Toronto Emergency Medical Services has won the coveted 2011 International Trauma Life Support Patient Care Competition held recently in Nashville, Tennessee.
left to right: Shamez Kassam, Martin Johnston, Lorne Burns
The Toronto EMS team consisting of paramedics Shamez Kassam, Lorne Burns, Martin Johnston and coordinator Ron Kowalik competed against six teams from Canada, the United States, Japan and Slovenia on October 28. Three scenarios tested patient-care skills. A team from Niagara EMS placed second and last year’s winning team from the United States placed third.
“This victory demonstrates the quality of care that our paramedics provide every day,” said Toronto EMS Chief Paul Raftis. “While every injury is tragic for the people involved, the citizens of Toronto can feel secure knowing that when these events happen, residents will receive world-class care that is second to none.”
Founded in the early 1980s, International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) is a not-for-profit, global organization with its headquarters in Illinois. ITLS is dedicated to preventing death and disability from trauma through education and emergency trauma care. ITLS is credited for establishing the International Trauma Standard and its programs are accepted internationally as the standard training course for pre-hospital trauma care.
Today, Toronto Emergency Medical Services in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario celebrated the installation of 38 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in all 33 Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) high schools.
Prior to installation of the AEDs, teachers and support staff at each Toronto District Catholic School Board high school received training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the proper use of an AED from Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City staff. Automated External Defibrillators are safe and easy to operate but can be even more effectively used once school staff is trained in their use and know where they are located.
Prompt action of bystanders and other rescuers trained in CPR and AED use, combined with the sophisticated emergency medical care delivered by paramedics, gives cardiac arrest victims the best chance for survival and a full recovery,” says Gayle Pollock, Commander,Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City Program. “Toronto EMS paramedics see the benefits of early intervention with an AED during a cardiac arrest. The use of an AED is proven to save lives and placing them in every Toronto Catholic high school is a big step toward our goal to place AEDs in all public spaces.”
Toronto EMS would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of York Regional Police Constable Garrett Styles who tragically died in the line of duty on June 28th.
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Along with Toronto Police and Toronto Fire, Toronto EMS will be holding a concert at Lee’s Palace on Thursday, June 30th. There will be bands from all three services representing. From Police, we will have The Catalyst, from Fire: The Shifters, and from EMS: Drunk on Sunday. All proceeds from the event will go to Toronto Habitat 911 Build, a joint effort by the Toronto Police, Toronto Fire and Toronto Emergency Medical Services to raise $200K, to build 2 accessible homes with Habitat For Humanity, Toronto.
Click on the poster for a larger version.
Tickets are $20.00. For online registration, please click here.
Please note that if you are looking at this webpage in from within the City of Toronto network, you may not be able to view the YouTube video.
The City of Toronto’s Emergency Medical Services, Police Service, and Fire Services are collaborating with Canadian Blood Services in the Sirens for Life campaign.
The emergency services’ blood donor challenge is running from July 1st through September 5th, 2011 as the three branches compete to donate the most blood. Although the competition for bragging rights is friendly, every police, fire or EMS worker knows the importance of blood. Continue reading »
Toronto EMS is pleased to report that on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, during a session of Parliament, the Government of Ontario adopted Bill 115; The Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery.
The Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery is a Provincial Award that will recognize those paramedics whose extraordinary courage brings honour to the paramedic profession and to all of us.
For more information about the announcement and this honourable award, please click here.
On May 26th 2011, Toronto EMS was honoured in attending the first annual “Public Heroes” dinner sponsored by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute, or IDI. The IDI is a Turkish-based organization with 11 chapters across Canada. They promote cultural awareness and believe that with mutual understanding and dialogue the world will achieve Global Peace. Their motto: “Step by Step towards Global Peace”
As part of 2011 National EMS Week, Toronto EMS conducted a free Wellness Clinic at Metro Hall for the citizens of Toronto. Several hundred people got their blood pressure taken, and their blood sugar and body fat content tested by Toronto EMS Staff. Toronto EMS would like to thank everyone for their support.
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Toronto EMS promotes Window Balcony Safety for Children and CPR/AED training awareness. A Special thanks to “Lowe’s” for their community safety outreach and celebrating EMS Week in partnership with the Everyday Heroes at Toronto EMS.
Please note that if you are looking at this webpage in from within the City of Toronto network, you may not be able to view this YouTube video.
On May 17, Fit TO Serve wowed the crowd by exhibiting awesome physical, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Check out the video, and peruse the photo gallery below:
