Page 38 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 104

38 Issue #104 September 2021 www.sportsenergynews.com

Cakes & MORE ...Simply Delicious!
• Custom Cakes
• Fresh Baked Goods
• Sandwich & Dessert Platters
• Don’t forget our lunches to go!
EASTCOURT MALL
2nd Street, Cornwall • 613-936-6069

911 Checking In with Our First Responders

Cornwall Fire Services

with Chief Jeff Weber

Cornwall Fire Services is hiring!
Every two years or so, we put out the call for hardworking, resilient, and committed individuals. The recruitment
process is a six-stage, four-month process. At the end of the recruitment, we’ll have whittled a candidate pool
of hundreds down to a handful.

Here’s a look at how it works:
First, candidates apply – if you’re reading this in time, head over to Cornwall.ca/careers to discover the documents
you’ll need. We expect applicants to have things like a Pleasure Craft Operators Card, driver’s abstract, and Ontario Class D
driver’s license.
Then, candidates must pass a series of tests, including ergometric and physical fitness. There are two rounds of interviews, then an
eligibility list is created. As vacancies open within Cornwall Fire Services, candidates on the list are called to begin their career.
Many dream to be firefighters. The job is demanding, rewarding, and highly visible in our community. There is no one path to
becoming a firefighter – in our service, staff have transitioned from a variety of careers to firefighting.

If you think this career is right for you, look at our application package at Cornwall.ca/careers. This round of recruitment might not
be the right one for you, but there is a lot you can do to prepare. Read the application requirements and get your documents in order.
Improve your physical fitness. Chat with one of our team members to get valuable insight into the job.
We wish all our applicants good luck!

Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services

By Rebecca Styles - Primary Care Paramedic

What’s it like starting your paramedic career during a global pandemic?

It’s stressful enough during normal times, to take what you have learned in class, practiced in labs, and experienced
during preceptorship (an apprentice-type work placement), but during the ever-changing landscape of a global pandemic? It’s
tough.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began, I was finishing up This made transitioning from student to worker extremely difficult. I had to
my first year of the paramedic program. My classmates ensure I was applying the most current version of our protocols and had to
and I were now unable to go to the school and practice our skills, make sure I was following the correct rules for that day. Thankfully, those
relying on online classes to finish out our first year. We were able to return daily alterations to protocols have slowed and vaccination rates in Canada
to the labs in September of 2020, the beginning of our second year, but only have drastically improved our position in the pandemic.
for a designated amount of pre-booked time. So, the duty to practice and We are wearing full personal protective equipment quite a bit less now,
improve our skills was totally on us. My classmates would tell you the same
which is much appreciated during the hot summer months (picture a plastic
thing: this made the program 10 times harder. garbage bag over you, with gloves and total head coverings). As for the
Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services was one of the few services in the stutter step - that was my entry into the field - I realise that new and older
province that continued to offer students preceptorship hours and therefore paramedics must constantly update their skills and be prepared to adapt
most of my class was able to cement what they had learned in school by to virtually anything. I am thankful for the experiences I have had while
experiencing it in the field and to graduate on time. I was then hired by the beginning my career and the progress that this paramedic service has made
service, and quickly became aware that this pandemic had altered many to make it safer for all of us to work.
facets of what paramedics do every day. These alterations came fast and Stay safe and please if you haven’t already, get vaccinated, for all our sakes.
furious, changing day to day, with little to no notice.