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The paramedics and staff who work tirelessly to make sure that people get the medical care they need are truly local heroes. As Canada’s first provincially-operated ambulance service, the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) provides emergency prehospital treatment and transportation by ambulance to the public and visitors to BC.
Serving an area of almost one million square kilometres, BCAS is the largest provider of emergency health care in Canada and one of the largest in North America.
In smaller communities and rural areas, like the North Island, the emergency services provided by the BCAS are invaluable.
“I think what the ambulance service provides to a place like Port Hardy is not only the prehospital medical services but the added comfort of knowing that the service is there when you need it,” said Nat Pottage, Port Hardy Unit Chief for the BCAS.
“I have lived places that don’t have an ambulance service and people behave different so it’s definitely adds character to their way of life,” said Pottage, adding “The activities that people are going to engage in, depending on the risk of the activity are going to be dictated by what medical services are provided in the community.”
Pottage said that in Port hardy one of the things that happens a lot is that a person may need more definitive treatment or testing that can be done in port hardy hospital so one of services they provide is transport to a larger centre not only by road but by air, as well.
The Port Hardy BCAS station has 14 paramedics that all work part-time and have other main employment. Pottage said they range anywhere from 25 years in the service in Port Hardy down to fresh starts.
“People that get into this and stay with it they like being on the front line and providing care to people, they genuinely care and they want to help,” said Pottage, explaining that a lot of paramedics start out as volunteers because they want to help their communities, and then it becomes a career.
“That’s what happened to me,” said Pottaging laughing, “I had no intention of becoming a paramedic. They needed somebody to drive and I put my hand up and it’s all downhill from there.”
BCAS paramedics and support staff are also proud and active members of their communities, devoting countless volunteer service hours to local events and public education campaigns.
“I have no doubt that everyone at this station is thrilled to be recognized in such a way especially by someone in the community who thought nominating us was a good idea,” said Pottage of the Local Heroes nomination, adding “Most people that get into this job do not do it for the recognition, so to be recognized is a thrill.”
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