30 years of saving lives: Local EMT heads to retirement
Many things have changed in the 30 years Jay Bertrand has been an Emergency Medical Technician, but as he retires this month he knows it was the career he was destined to fulfil.
Living in a small town in B.C. at the age of 20, he helped a nurse in a small hospital deliver his daughter. It was emotional because it was the birth of his own child, there was euphoria seeing a life born, and he knew he wanted to be in the health profession and help to save lives.
In the past three decades there is one call that looms large in Bertrand’s memory. It was April 14, 2002, a Sunday, when high winds blew dust off nearby fields creating a dust storm near Suffield that reduced visibility severely. It resulted in a 10-vehicle collision on the TransCanada Highway, according to a News story published at the time. There were several deaths and numerous people transported to hospital.
Bertrand describes his frustration at not being able to see well enough in the blowing dust to triage the causalities. It felt as though he was in a sand blaster and remembers bumping into things. The wind and dust simply blew the mattress of the ambulance stretcher away.
“You can’t hear. You can’t see, and every time we touched cars they were charged with static electricity,” said Bertrand. “We transported 27 people.”
Ambulances went back and forth and even a bus was sent to the scene, said Bertrand.
“It was the longest and shortest hour of my life,” he said.
He was off work for two days because of the dust in his eyes. Emergency workers now carry ski goggles in ambulances in case they are ever faced with a similar situation, he said.
Being able to help people in their time of medical need is gratifying, said Bertrand. Some people seek out those who helped to say thank you. A woman who was grateful to Bertrand and another paramedic for “saving her husband’s life” presented them each with a little angel.
“I like to define EMS workers as problem solvers,” said Bertrand.
There are medical issues to address, sometimes equipment problems to solve, and then there can be logistical and language issues too. Over the years technology has changed the role of EMS staff enormously. Bertrand remembers the days of hand written paperwork to modern equipment that assists in making a diagnosis to provide treatment.
Some of the experiences are very happy ones and take him full circle.
“I have helped deliver about six babies in the field,” said Bertrand.
He is not worried about having enough to do after retirement. He has plenty of hobbies and a dog to walk, he explained.