Ottawa Paramedic Receives 2012 Legends of the Call Award
An Ottawa paramedic is being recognized by the MedicAlert Foundation Canada and the EMSCC as the recipient of this year’s Legends of the Call Award. The award distinguishes paramedics that go above and beyond the call of duty and follow MedicAlert’s Look, Read, Call procedure:
Look: to see if a patient is wearing a MedicAlert ID.
Read: the engraving on the back of the MedicAlert ID to learn vital information about the patient’s allergies and medical conditions or special needs/requests.
Call: the unique MedicAlert 24/7 emergency hotline to reach a live MedicAlert agent for the patient-provided full medical history.
Robert Wilson and his partner Jill deBoer responded to a call at a fitness center to find a MedicAlert member who had experienced an epileptic seizure. The patient’s confused state left them apprehensive about whether the information he was providing was accurate and up-to-date. Wilson followed MedicAlert’s Look, Read, Call procedure was able to determine details of the member’s medical history and emergency contact information.
“We’d like to thank the Ottawa Paramedic Services for their ongoing dedication and support to MedicAlert and its members,” says MedicAlert president and CEO, Robert Ridge. “Their consistent commitment to the Look, Read, Call procedure is a testament to the fact that collaboration between MedicAlert and ER professionals can provide Canadians with faster, better care during emergencies.”
“When paramedics arrive at an emergency, they often only have a few seconds to gather information before making a call on how to proceed,” adds EMSCC President Michael Nolan. “MedicAlert provides instant access to critical information which is why we encourage paramedics to follow Look, Read, Call protocol during every emergency. We salute Robert Wilson for effectively using MedicAlert to help save a life.”
“Paramedic Robert Wilson is an example of the dedicated men and women that serve our Nation’s Capital every day,” says Anthony Di Monte, Chief, Ottawa Paramedic Service. “I am extremely proud of Robert and all our staff that utilize MedicAlert’s Look, Read, Call procedure on a regular basis.”