Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
PEMBROKE – Brad Smith, retired member of the Renfrew County Paramedic Service, received the Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery for his career in the paramedic service at the June 25 meeting of Renfrew County council.
Chief of Emergency Services Mike Nolan presented the award to Smith and noted that the honour became a provincial award in 2022. Smith also won the award in its previous incarnation, the Ontario Award of Paramedic Bravery. Smith, “is one of the first recipients,” of the new award which is under the auspices of the office of the Lieutenant General.
“It’s also worthy of note,” Nolan said, “that the origins of our Sierra team came from this very example that Brad put his life at risk for another person,” which led to council approving creation of the Sierra team.
The Renfrew County Paramedic Service Sierra Team is a specialized unit within the paramedic service that is trained to deal with patients in a wide range of conditions. The team is trained to handle situations in a forest, on a trail or in water.
The team uses off-road capable vehicles, boats, utility vehicles, drones and specialized protective gear in its work. Team members receive advanced training in wilderness medicine, hazardous materials, severe weather and survival skills. The Sierra paramedics incorporate GPS and satellite communications for remote areas where normal communication isn’t possible.
The Sierra team was heavily involved in response to multiple situations during the severe storm event June 21/22.
The medal is awarded to, “paramedics who displayed exceptional courage in the face of grave danger while carrying out their duties to protect and save the lives of others,” explained Nolan.
Smith began working as a paramedic in 1973. “I don’t have many staff that were born before 1973,” joked Nolan. “What I can say about the ‘old batch’ (of paramedic staff) is that they are absolutely exceptional in terms of their work ethic, the care they’ve provided and the, literally, tens of thousands of years of experience,” in the paramedic service.
Nolan said he forged a friendship with Smith early in his days as chief of paramedic services, noting that Smith was one of the first community paramedics in Ontario, “because against all of the rules, he used to book out of the base and go and visit people who he knew had a need in the community,” before emergency 911 service began. Nolan got hold of a notebook from Smith that had the names and addresses of all the people Smith used to visit. Jason Davis, director of development and property, formerly forestry and GIS manager, created a map of all the places Smith went. “It was like flowers to bees where he would pollinate the community with joy, with compassion, with care for people,” Nolan said.
“Our community paramedic model is now in 19 countries, every province in Canada and, as well, every municipality in Ontario because of the work that Brad did early in his career.
“Now retired, Brad leaves behind a legacy of exemplary service and dedication that continues to inspire.”
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