Top honour for paramedic
A Niagara paramedic has received an inaugural award at an international trauma competition. Niagara Emergency Medical Services International Trauma Life Support Team recently competed at the ITLS competition in Quebec, finishing second place.
The competition was judged by trauma care specialists from around the world.
The Niagara EMS team consisted of Connor McCulloch, Tracey Groszeibl, Len Kowalik, and Ryan Howlett.
“I am one of those crazy people who enjoys competitions,” said McCulloch, a 23- year- old Welland resident. “On top of that, the competition is a great educational weekend as you meet teams from all over the world to compare trauma skills and put them to the test.”
In addition to the team accomplishment, McCulloch was selected by the judges as the recipient of the inaugural GE Individual Excellence Award, in memory of Toronto paramedic George Eliadis, a fellow competitor who died earlier this year.
The 52- year- old paramedic and his partner Sharri Keyes-Williams, 42, were killed after a vehicle struck a group of motorcyclists in Haliburton County.
The award was presented to a competition participant who “demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, leadership, compassion and trauma care.”
“The spirit of this award not only reflects Connor’s exceptional skills and professionalism as a paramedic but it is representative of all of the staff at Niagara EMS in their commitment to the highest quality of people care, not just patient care,” said Kevin Smith, chief of Niagara EMS.
McCulloch said he was honoured to receive the award. “It was a very emotional experience... the emotion in that room was quite unbelievable,” he recalled. “It is obvious how many people cared greatly for George and how his loss has impacted his family, friends and the ITLS community.”
McCulloch, an advanced care paramedic and graduate of Niagara College, has been with Niagara EMS for the past three- and- a- half years.
“I originally wanted to be a police officer but, in school, I really started liking the sciences and I enjoy helping people so I wanted to take that to the next level and being a paramedic was the absolutely best way to do that.”
Founded in 1985 as Basic Trauma Life Support International, ITLS is a global non- profit organization dedicated to prevention death and disability from trauma through education and emergency trauma care.
Niagara EMS has competed in the competition in previous years. The team placed first last year.