Honouring Canada's Paramedics

Today we honour Ontario paramedics Chris Snowball and Dustin Dagenais

On May 31 2013 shortly after midnight Ornge 7793 crashed after taking off from Moosonee airport heading to Attawapiskat to pick up a patient. Paramedics Chris Snowball and Dustin Dagenais as well as both pilots, Captain Don Filliter and First Officer Jaques Dupuy all lost their lives in the crash. Below are memories shared by Allie Scott, wife of Chris Snowball and Darren Rowntree, friend and colleague of Dustin Dagenais
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Chris Snowball

Chris and I met when we were 16, he told me that he wanted to be a paramedic. From the beginning he worked hard and took extra courses to be the best he could be. After graduating from Niagara College Chris started his career in Hamilton Patient Transfer Service; he also spent his weekends at Flamboro Speedway as a first aid attendant. After a couple of years, Chris found a job in Nova Scotia in a little town on Cape Breton Island. Chris even became a volunteer fire fighter and was also a certified diver for the fire department. After spending 10 years in Nova Scotia Chris decided it was time to move back to Ontario where he got a job in Northern Ontario in Moosonee. Chris worked for Wabusk for a couple of years before getting a job with Ornge.

Chris loved sports. He was a goalie in high school and even after he joined a men’s league. Chris became a referee so he could stay on the ice saying he was too old to play anymore. He loved his time at home with his family and friends. You could always find him in his chair at the front of the house sun tanning and smoking his chocolate ci**rs with his dog at his side. The girls would love to sit on the couch and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs game with him and Nascar racing as well. Chris was always the life of the party and I know that the guys would have so many stories to tell. May 24 weekend was one of his favorite times of year, the fire works the big campfires and the time with all the family and friends. It isn’t the same without him at the regular May 24 party.

The night of May 31, 2013 was a night I would never forget. The phone rang at 3:30am and they said they lost contact with his helicopter. I was thinking that they would find them and they would all be ok. Time went by and I waited for that call to come in. When I got that call it wasn’t what I was hoping for. My whole world came crashing down. All I could think was how was I going to tell our girls he wasn’t ever coming home. I was in disbelief that he was gone and I would never be able to see him again.

Chris would take the train back and forth up north for work. Shortly after Chris passed, I received a call from a lady that wanted me to know just what a kind guy he was. She was boarding the train to go home and decided to sit across from Chris, but just as she was about to sit down the train je**ed and she fell on top of Chris who was sleeping. She said that he woke up, he saw that she had a bad knee, I think she said from a surgery. Chris went and got her ice and stayed with her and kept her comfortable the rest of the way home till she got off the train. She was so impressed with him and she even remembered that he had a Toronto Maple Leaf pillow and blanket. He always had that with him so he could sleep on the way up and the way back. That phone call was a perfect reminder of Chris.

You will always be missed we love you

Allie Scott, wife of Chris Snowball
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Dustin Dagenais

The night of May 30th and morning of May 31st 2013 were days that I will never forget. That night I was working Ornge Air Ambulance 796 in Timmins. I still remember every detail and every call about that night. Our first call was a serious head injury that we brought to Sudbury. Once we were there, we got a call for another serious patient, to go out from Sudbury. A crew member from Sudbury 798 met us at the Sudbury Hospital since this was a Critical Care call. I remember driving the ambulance back to the airport. When we got there, a pilot I knew very well informed me that a helicopter was missing. He told me it was from Moosonee. I remember selfishly just hoping Dagger wasn’t working that night. After we loaded the patient into the plane, I rushed into the base to find out who was working in Moosonee and was informed it was Dagger.

I remember feeling so helpless not knowing what was happening and wanting to talk to my wife, who is also a paramedic, but didn’t want to wake her up that early in the morning with no real info on what was happening. After being in contact with Dustin’s wife and cousin, I remember finding out that Dustin passed away and feeling so helpless and alone at the 798 base and just wanted to get back to Timmins. Luckily the 796 pilots came back and picked me up and brought me back to base, where many of my co-workers were waiting for me once I got off the plane, knowing my connection with Dustin.

Dustin and I became close friends when we both attended the Northern College Paramedic Program in 2005. We immediately hit it off with both our love for sports, especially hockey. The moment you met Dagger, you felt like he was your best friend. After finishing school, Dagger came up to work with me in Attawapiskat where we got to work and live together. It was so awesome to work with him because the moment he got up there he made an impact in the community and at the base where he was loved by everyone. After I got a job with Cochrane District EMS, we stayed in contact daily.

When Dagger got married he asked me to be apart of his wedding party and I could not be more honoured because he was someone I really looked up to. I cannot think of anyone else where I have that many amazing funny and ridiculous stories to talk about. When Dagger started working for Ornge, he would always come down to Timmins for his CME and stay at my house. The few times I dutied-out in Moose, I would always stay at his place instead of taking hotel, just so we could see each other.

The year that Dagger passed away he was suppose to be in my wedding party that year, and definitely left a big hole, not having him around. We did our best to honour him as much as possible, because he was surely missed. When my wife and I had our first son in February 2015 we asked Josée (Dustin’s wife) if we could use Dagger’s name for our son’s middle name, she graciously agreed. So now we have our son Nash Dustin Rowntree, who sometimes pulls off some very Dagger-like things lol.

The last thing I can say is I have never met someone as amazing as Dustin “Dagger” Dagenais, and I’m not just saying that because he’s not with us anymore. He just truly was one of the best people I have ever met. He made everyone feel welcomed, everyone feel loved and made everyone feel special. He was an incredible paramedic because he was so well spoken and made patients feel comfortable, even at their worst moments. He left behind his amazing wife and daughter, friends, and family but he is still remembered through pictures, memorials at bases, and most importantly, the stories that everyone has, even if they met him just once.

Darren Rowntree, Friend and colleague of Dustin Dagenais

Our thoughts and best wishes for speedy recovery are with our Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service colleagues who were involved in a serious collision near Smiths Falls. Our thoughts are also with all those who were involved in the collision as well as the crews who responded to it.

The medics were treated and released from hospital.

Today we honour Communications Officer / Paramedic Wayne Dufty.

On May 29 2003 Communications officer / Paramedic Wayne Dufty died during a training session. Friends and coworkers have said Wayne was an amazing person who was very dedicated to his family and job. Described as a calm voice on the radio or phone and always ready to help coworkers with advice or to be the calm needed to help people through chaotic calls. He was a very well respected colleague and friend to many. Below is a memory shared by a coworker of Wayne Dufty, Retired dispatcher John Lynas.

When I started with Metropolitan Toronto Department of Ambulance Service Communications Wayne gave me a great piece of advice that served me through my career and that I passed on to new Dispatchers. He said "You will meet some negative people here. Don't pay any attention to them they just like to bitch and moan. Have your own experience and form your own opinions. "

I liked working with Wayne. He was fair and willing to listen. He was always there to assist the Dispatchers and he gave good leadership. I respected Wayne. He is greatly missed. Rest in peace my friend.

John Lynas
Retired Toronto Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Today's paramedic week post is the collection of patches from the 2020 Memorial Bell Tour. Each patch comes from from one of 72 ground, air and First Nations ambulance services from across Ontario who hosted the bell as it travelled during COVID connecting us all despite the need to minimize in person contact.

Photo credit to Gregor Tnt

As we kick off Paramedic Week we start off with a post we received from Paul Carson-Work as he continues the work to honour our fallen.

For Two Years, I Travelled Across Canada To All Canadian Provinces And 2/3 Territories,To The Graves, The Incident Sites Where We Lost Our Canadian Paramedics, Met Family Members, Paramedics, Canadian Military Medics As Well Canadian Forces Search and Rescue Technicians. Also Had The Urns Of Our Fallen On Our Memorial BelI, Capturing As Much Energy Onto Our Bell As Well As Much Canadiana. When You See Our Bell, You Will Know That It Has Some Representation Of One Of Our Fallen.

Fallen Canadian Paramedic Memorial Bell Tour For Two Years, I Travelled Across Canada To All Canadian Provinces ...

Today we honour BC paramedics Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier.

On May 17th 2006 Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier were responding to a call inside a water testing shed at the Sullivan Mine in Kimberly, British Columbia. Kim and Shawn were overcome by a low oxygen atmosphere while attempting to rescue two mine contractors who also died as a result of the low oxygen atmosphere.

Congratulations to Elgin County paramedic Jake Fehr on retiring after 36 years! Best wishes for your next chapter

Today we honour the service and sacrifice of Corporal Michael Starker.

Cpl. Michael Starker was killed while serving in Afganistan on May 6 2008. Corporal Starker was serving as a reservist medic at the time and worked with Calgary EMS prior to his deployment.

Retired Sergeant Fabio Lacentra shared the following words of remembrance with us

Mike and I knew each other for approx 16yrs in total we both served in the military and although he left my original unit and went to the PPCLI and eventually the Airborne Regiment we quickly picked up where we had left off when he returned and by that time we had both moved to 15 Field Ambulance Calgary detachment.

Mike and I served together as members of TF 1-08 the international Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the winter, spring and Summer of 2008. We attended Pre-training in Edmonton at 1 Fd Ambulance and spent much of our time together living on base and especially in the gym. I clearly remember our cathartic walks to the gym together after work and discuss the day's events.

I was always amazed at Mike's insight regarding issues and his clear-headed responses.
In the gym he would often surprise me with his physical strength because we were both approximately the same stature.

But that was Mike always full of surprises and much wiser and stronger than he appeared.
During training he continually amazed his peers and supervisors with his medical knowledge, he had been working as a civilian paramedic for some time and I had had the joy of working with him during my practicum, many times he schooled me with his wit and demeanor, I was always better for it.

Mike was a natural leader and people were drawn to his confidence and ability he seemed to always know what he was doing or what to say. During the tour Mike and I were deployed with different organizations but we crossed paths at times and I still remember the last day I saw him we went for a coffee together he was growing out his hair (kept his head shaved most of the time) I joked with him about is and he said with his cricked smile, "I am a changed man" and talked about how much he was looking forward to leave with his wife Nicole.

The day he was killed from where I was, we could see the helo's swooping in for their gun runs to support the troops on the ground and I did not know it was Mike in fight. When the call came in over the radio that there was a casualty who had a gunshot (GSW) wound to the head I told my boys GSW's to the head don't do well in an attempt to prepare them for what may come... it was announced soon after that the headwound was vital signs absent (VSA).
My subunit headed back to KAF to prepare for the ramp ceremony everyone was in a somber mood but no one knew who had been killed. When I was told later, I tried to see the body but was denied. I think I cried for 3 days and found it extremely hard to believe what had happened even when I carried his casket onto the plane.

Mike has stayed with me ever since and I met his wife upon returning to Canada, her strength was inspiring and she gave me a memorial steel bracelet that I wear to this day and have never removed. It helps me to draw on Mike's strength I often find myself squeezing it or talking to in times of need or when I just want to say hi to Mike. Even in death Mike is an inspiration. I have left the military but continue to work in EMS and it is his legacy to me. I know we all miss him and not a day goes by without me thinking of him.

He was an amazing man and will always be with us.

Thank you Mike!
Fabio Lacentra
Sgt (ret'd)
TF-108

Today we honour BC paramedic Theresa Bond.

On May 4 1990 Theresa Bond died in a plane crash while enroute to a unit chief's meeting in Smithers BC. Theresa was the first Unit Chief at the Atlin BC station in northwestern British Columbia and had worked for BCAS for 10 years.