The Exemplary Service Medal for Emergency Medical Services

The Exemplary Service Medals recognize those persons in high-risk professions who have dedicated themselves to preserving Canada's public safety through long and outstanding service. These national medals are part of the Canadian honours system, and are awarded though the Chancellery of Honours, a branch of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. The Emergency Medical Services medal is one of the newest in the Exemplary Services Medal family, joining other public safety professions: Police, Corrections, Fire Services, Canadian Coast Guard and Peace Officer. (Exemplary Service Medal for ESM brochure, 2006).

The Emergency Medical Exemplary Service Medal was created in 1994 to recognize professionals in the provision of pre-hospital emergency services who have performed their duties in an exemplary manner, characterized by good conduct, industry and efficiency rather than only number of years in uniform. The Exemplary Service Medal for EMS To be considered for this award, a paramedic must have been employed with an emergency medical service on or after October 31, 1991, and have completed twenty years of exemplary service, including at least 10 years in the performance of duties involving potential risk.

The Process

Receipt of the Exemplary Service Medal follows successful completion of a rigorous selection process. In Nova Scotia, a committee of paramedics surveyed leaders from Emergency Health Services, Emergency Medical Care, Inc, the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center Emergency Department and EHS Lifeflight, in search of paramedics who were fitting for this recognition.

Names were put forward by colleagues and managers. The Nova Scotia Paramedic Awards committee then sent out letters to the potential candidates, welcoming the paramedics to follow the process of submitting a portfolio of their careers for assessment for the award. The portfolios and references were received and assessed by our committee, to ensure they met the standards set out by the Chancellery of Honours. They were subsequently sent to the National Advisory Committee for the EMS Exemplary Service Medal, who approved all three and sent them onto the Chancellery for final approval.

Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination to the Nova Scotia Awards Committee for a paramedic they feel fits the criteria for the Exemplary Service Medal for Emergency Medical Services.

Nova Scotia Paramedics Awards Committee

The Nova Scotia Paramedics Awards Committee is a group of paramedics who are interested in having paramedics' recognized for the contributions they make toward improving their workplaces, communities and experiences of their patients. It is a volunteer committee.

Nominations

The Nova Scotia Paramedics Awards Committee is seeking nominations for potential candidates for the Exemplary Service Medal for EMS for 2009. For information please contact:

Past Winners

2008

• Earl Russell, Intermediate Care Paramedic
• William Murihead
• Lauchie Armstrong

2007

• Terrance Douglas Turnbull, Primary Care Paramedic
• Gerald Parfitt, Intermediate Care Paramedic
• John Lewis, Intermediate Care Paramedic

On behalf of the Nova Scotia Paramedics Awards committee, congratulations to these paramedics. They are recognized for serving in their careers as paramedics in an exemplary manner, improving their workplaces and communities.