It’s easy to forget the people and organizations that influence who we are, and what we have become. When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I took my first standard first aid course at the St. John Ambulance (SJA) building at 45th and Cambie in Vancouver, BC. While there, I learned about the SJA Brigade, a volunteer-based organization that provided ongoing opportunities for learning more skills, and a chance to “try them out” by attending community events. It was kind of like “Scouts or Brownies” with a first aid/medical twist. I was already involved with the YMCA Youth Leadership Development Program, and had taken lifesaving courses through the inevitable progression of swimming lessons so common for Canadian kids. So, I had some idea about first aid matters when I joined SJA.
SJA Brigade provided me with my first opportunity to go out and use the skills and knowledge that I had acquired, and hooked me on the special role that first aid and medical providers have at community events. I discovered a way to attend great shows and hockey games without buying a ticket!
I was involved as a cadet, a ‘crusader’, and eventually transitioned into the adult division, both in Vancouver (Div 59), and subsequently out at UBC (Div 998). When I came back from my emergency medicine residency in Edmonton in 2003, I had the opportunity to affiliate (loosely, because my attendance was poor!) with the Tricities Division (Div 54) as a Medical Officer, and just recently, with the formation of the Branch Medical Advisory Committee, I have accepted the position of Area Medical Officer for the Lower Mainland.
St. John Ambulance 2014 Annual Inspection, Surrey, BC
On the afternoon of Sunday, October 26th, 2014, I had the privilege of attending the annual awards ceremony and “inspection” of the Lower Mainland’s St. John Ambulance Brigade and Therapy Dog Volunteers by the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Judith Guichon. I haven’t attended Annual Inspection in probably 2 decades, but this year, it was time.
Nearly 400 volunteers were out to show their respect to an organization that is centuries old. Established in 1883, with the inaugural first aid course in Quebec City, today, St. John Ambulance Canada issues approximately 550,000 certificates in first aid and CPR to Canadians each year. The volunteers provide over one million volunteer hours of community services annually and the organization supports humanitarian relief efforts across Canada and around the world <1>.
I was inspired to see this group of dedicated individuals gather to recognize their peers and their leaders, many of whom were recognized for thousands of hours of service to the organization and the community. It was a privilege to attend.
And I am reminded that SJA is one of the influences in my life that I can trace back to the origins of my interest in emergency medicine and mass gatherings. It’s time to say “Thanks”. It’s time to give back. I encourage those of you who have read this far into my post to think about the organizations in your life that have shaped who you are today. Think about how and when you can give back.
Adam
Dr. Adam Lund
Emergency Physician
Mass Gathering Medicine Interest Group
<1> http://www.sja.ca/English/Order-of-St-John/Pages/The-Order-of-St-John-in-Canada.aspx