Man on Call

Video Clip

Quick Facts - Sandy Rediron is married with 4 kids and lives in Beauval. He is a Emergency Medical Technican - First Responder, working for the Keewatin Yathe Health District. Sandy is involved in a wide range of recreational activities in his community

I got interested in the emergency medical field back in high school.. It was nice to have a knowledge in first aid because I was so involved with sports. In 1996 I was accepted into a first responders program along with 8 other people from around the north. After that I took different levels of training in Saskatoon for a year - fire fighting, confined space rescue, and farm aid rescue. In 2000, another course was being offer in Buffalo, this time it was training to become an Emergency Medical Technican. I jumped at the chance. All my training tied in together, and I received my certification, and was hired by the Health District as a causual worker.

Once the personal were in place the Health District set up four stations - LaLoche, Buffalo, I'le a la Crosse, and Beauval. I have been working for over a year now as an EMT here in Beauval, and now I have applied for a job as a supervisor of emergency medical services. That is what I am doing presently. I am focusing on training for all of the staff. I do training in first aid and CPR. I have my certification in those areas. Now the service can be provided locally without having to bring in trainers from the south at a huge cost. As well I can train First Responders and people who need help with WHIMIS (Environmental Hazardous Chemicals). All those components are important in the medical field.

As an EMT we are trained for emergencies. For example if there is an accident on the highway, we are the first ones called to the scene. Our job is to best prepare the person for hospital care until suitable transportation arrives. With our Jaws For Life Training we can remove any person from a crash vehicle. I would like to get more training in the future. I would like to become certified as an EMT Advanced. As an EMT, I can charge up the IV's, or give a person a needle for a heart attack. But, let's say if a person is in a crash on a road between here and Pinehouse or Cole Bay, and they lost a lot of blood, they need to have an IV. Only a nurse, doctor, or an EMT Advanced can start an IV. Its a fine line, but the training is necessary. Going out to an accident means going into a stressful situation. Because of confidentiality rules, we can't talk about the accidents we go to. We do have counsellors that help us through it. You hate going to accidents that have serious injuries. On the flip side you feel useful that you have that knowledge and training, and you are providing the best care possible. That's the big reward about my job.

Another rewarding thing about my job, is that there is a need for this service in any community, and I am providing a sense of security for the people here. I hope kids see me as a role model. There is a big need in our community for more EMT workers, nurses, doctors, so I hope students will see that need and understand that it is never too late to start a career. Our Health District (KYHD) is only 4-5 years old, and is still developing. This is the right time for people to get in the field.