By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) held an open house at the Valemount ambulance station last Thursday, November 7th. The station currently has 10 full-time employees, but could always use more staff to be on-call, said unit chief Laine Smith.
The event was successful, with many attendees coming in throughout the afternoon, according to Smith.
“I’ve been really impressed with the turnout. It’s been really good,” Smith said.
Would-be emergency responders are often put off by the potential mental health toll that the job may take, Smith says, but the BCEHS has resources in place to mitigate that. Paramedics can call a helpline after responding to a tough situation, and talk to someone who is specifically trained to help first responders – a position that Smith himself has held.
Beyond the stress management system that BCEHS has in place, the job is a great opportunity for someone who is independent and motivated to help others, Smith said.
“I started in ‘87, and I’m still here. I think the biggest reason is just pure job satisfaction,” he said. “When I help somebody, that makes me feel good… The end goal is patient care, and you have job satisfaction and some independence.”
Smith invites locals to get in touch with him, or to contact BCEHS recruitment coordinator Heather Muchowski at [email protected].
