THUNDER BAY – Scott Ramsden was one of 11 new paramedics participating in a driving program on Monday at Boulevard Lake.
The training session involved manoeuvring the ambulance around traffic cones – part of the on-boarding new paramedics receive when they begin with Superior North Emergency Medical Services.
Originally from Edmonton, Ramsden studied in the paramedic program at Confederation College and will soon be working in the region.
Ramsden said he was filled with a mix of excitement and “a healthy fear” as he begins his new role as a paramedic.
“I wanted a career where I could help people. I wanted to have a job that's different every day – where I get to learn new things.”
He is looking forward to exploring new communities in the region that he’s never visited. He said it’s “a little bit more of an adventurous approach” than working in one place would be.
Confederation College prepared him for how to perform as a paramedic, he said, but there’s a lot of stuff you don’t grasp until you’re on the job – such as the policies they’ve been learning and, of course, driving the ambulance.
Marika Listenmaa, superintendent of professional standards with Superior North EMS, is one of the people who helps on-board new recruits.
On-boarding takes two to three weeks, Listenmaa said.
“We run them through all of our training programs, our policies and procedures. We run them through operationals. We run them through a driving program.
“We teach them street smarts. We teach them the working mind – so it's quite extensive.”
Monday was the last day of the driving portion of the training. There was also in-class training dedicated to driving, since piloting an ambulance is a lot more difficult than driving a regular-sized car.
Listenmaa said the new recruits will now do three orientation shifts before they are off on their own.
Ramsden knows he will soon be a fully-fledged paramedic. The nervousness he feels is mostly due to the unknown.
“Prior to graduation, our last semester is 432 hours of placement. We're paired with a preceptor and we did get quite a lot of experience for the most part.
“But I think it's the stuff you haven't seen. Every call is different,” Ramsden said.
