Read the full letter here: Prehospital care open letter

“We are very honored to have someone like Anne among our ranks,” says Local 416 President Wayne Smith. “The members of Local 416 could not be more proud of her.”

Edwards is a veteran paramedic with Indianapolis EMS (IEMS), a paramedic instructor for the Indiana University School of Medicine and a trainer for new IEMS employees.

Inspired by Edwards’ professionalism, knowledge and compassion, a former student nominated Edwards for the NAEMT Paramedic of the Year Award.

“I was taken back when I found out one of my students nominated me,” Edwards says. “I take pride in what I do, but I never thought it would lead to such an honor. This has been a very humbling experience.”

Her co-workers describe Edwards as a natural leader. Among other things, she takes great care in seeing that all individuals on-scene, whether patients, family members or friends, are given access to the best care and options available. She is also known for keeping personnel focused on the task at hand, ensuring the absolute best possible outcomes for everyone involved.

The IEMS and its employees are some of the newest members of Local 416. “We had been members of another union, but decided to come into the IAFF fold,” says Edwards. “I believe it was a good decision because now we are being represented by people who understand what we do and what we need to meet the challenges we face each day.”

Read the story here: Indianapolis Local 416 Member Is NAEMT Paramedic of the Year

“Ontario’s firefighters believe patients in serious medical emergencies deserve care as quickly as possible,” said Fred LeBlanc, President of the OPFFA. “In an emergency situation, every second counts.”

As expert first responders trained in advanced first-aid, professional firefighters dramatically improve patient care and survival rates. In fact, saving a patient’s life depends on how quickly a trained emergency responder can get to them. Expert studies have shown delays in treatment carry a heavy price:

• In Ontario, approximately 17,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest – the most time-sensitive medical emergency. For these patients, the likelihood they can be resuscitated drops by up to 10% with every passing minute.
• The survival rate for cardiac arrest victims almost doubles when professional firefighters arrive at the scene and provide CPR.
• When professional firefighters are there to assist paramedics at the scene of a traumatic injury, all the steps required to get the patient stabilized and transported to hospital can be completed up to 3.4 minutes faster.

In serious medical emergencies where seconds count, professional firefighters are already positioned across our community to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency quickly – often firefighters are the first to arrive on scene. Furthermore, dispatching existing professional firefighters already on-call carries no additional cost to taxpayers.

The Send Firefighters Campaign is being launched as municipalities across Ontario begin their budget review process. The campaign will include outdoor advertising, radio spots, and literature distribution at key events over the course of the next month.