Paramedic teams from across Canada met the challenge of excellence as they competed for top honours in the National Paramedic Competition held recently at Durham College.
With a motto of Excellence through Challenge, Durham College hosted the 2008 National Paramedic Competition on campus April 5, with 28 teams from across Canada competing.
This annual event was created by the Durham Paramedic Association in 2003 with the assistance of Durham College, Lakeridge Health and the Durham Emergency Medical Service.
The competition's goal is to increase the skill base of Canadian paramedics so they can better serve their communities and to promote emergency medical services, as well as public safety.
"By providing the venue for this event it offers Durham College the means to highlight and promote our Paramedic program, which has gained national recognition," said Kevin Griffin, a paramedic professor and chair of the National Paramedic Competition Committee. "In addition, it provides an excellent simulated interactive learning environment where our students receive invaluable hands-on experience, which will ensure they have the market-ready skills required to be next-generation professionals."
In the largest competition to date, teams competed in a variety of academic tests and practical scenarios that included human patient actors, props and a human patient simulator.
This year the Durham Regional Police Service assisted in the simulated scenarios, providing teams with an even more realistic settings.
Congratulations to Durham College team members Lindsay Green and Joel Visser for placing fourth and to Katie Szeghalmi and Leslie Hunter for an eighth in their respective categories.
The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, which helps seriously ill children and their families cope during illnesses, will receive funds raised from this event.