DUNNVILLE—Recently, the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs (OAPC) released the names of 65 paramedics across the province receiving Exemplary Service Medal bars recognizing their careers in the field. One name on the list was Haldimand paramedic Stacy Ingliss.
The award recognizes paramedics celebrating 30, 40, or 50 years of service to their community. This year represented Ingliss’ first year of eligibility, with him recently reaching the milestone of 30 years in the field.
This is not the first time Ingliss has been recognized for his commitment, having previously received an OPP Commissioner’s Award for lifesaving, the Provincial McNally award for paramedic bravery, and a Base Hospital award for excellence in patient care.
A lifelong resident of Haldimand and youngest of five, Ingliss grew up in the village of Byng and now lives with his wife and two children in Dunnville.
“When I graduated from Dunnville Secondary School I was unsure of my career path, and it wasn’t until I became a member of the local volunteer fire department that I realized I had an interest in care in the ambulance field,” reminisced Ingliss on the early days of his career.
He began at Niagara College, earning a diploma in Ambulance and Emergency Care and writing his Ontario Provincial exam, granting him the right to work in ambulance services.
“At the time of my graduation we were referred to as Emergency Medical Care Assistants,” Ingliss recalled. “Our scope of practice was very limited looking back.”
Hired by Haldimand War Memorial Hospital (HWMH), Ingliss began his career as part of a two-ambulance team servicing the Haldimand region in the days before it incorporated. While HWMH supplied one ambulance, the second belonged to West Haldimand General Hospital, where Ingliss also worked part time for a number of years.
“Our level of care was basic care, with no advanced care or treatment options other than the administration of oxygen,” said Ingliss, who noted that he received additional training in 1997, five years into his career, during which he learned how to administer five basic medications and was given the official title of paramedic.
Ingliss said the service expanded after the Ontario government downloaded ambulance services to municipal governments. He said the County is now equipped with five ambulances, about 40 full-time and 30 part-time paramedics, four full-time community paramedics, three road supervisors, and a chief – a far cry from the early days of his career.
“Our scope of practice has increased astronomically. We now provide cardiac monitoring with diagnostic 12 lead (ECGs), administer approximately 25 medications, initiate and provide intravenous therapy, and advanced airway management,” explained Ingliss.
He said further changes now grant local paramedics 24/7 access to a physician by phone for advice while on a complicated call, and drivers now have discretion to take patients to the hospital best-suited to address their medical needs, where in the old days they were instructed to take patients to the closest hospital regardless of the nature of the call.
“The newest addition to our arsenal is actual machines that provide CPR to allow us to perform other tasks during calls, and a K9 team with wellness dogs, which I’m proud to say I am a handler. We also have a full-time tiered response agreement with Haldimand County Fire department for certain calls (and they are amazing and a huge help) as our scope increases,” said Ingliss.
He reflected on his ongoing 30-year journey in the profession: “I have had many memorable calls. Some sad, some rewarding, and some that are a little on the darker side that will forever be etched in my head, which I see on a frequent basis. We as paramedics see people when they’re usually not having the best day of their life.”
He said new paramedics entering the field today face a completely different landscape than he did in 1994. Despite those advancements, he said that using basic principles of kindness and compassion are still the best way to get your feet on the ground when starting out.
“Be kind and open to change as this profession evolves and grows at an amazingly fast pace. Paramedicine is a profession in which you will never be done learning and adapting. Healthcare in general is always changing, so you need to be willing to continue to learn and adapt to these changes … while remembering you have one of the most incredible occupations.”
He said that despite a paramedic’s best intentions, “the outcome of your efforts will not always be what you wish. You need to be prepared for this and take care of your own mental and physical wellbeing. But most importantly embrace and enjoy your career.”
Ingliss concluded, “My career so far has been nothing shy of amazing. I love attending work each and every shift. It’s hard to believe my career has expanded to more than 30 years, however my late father always told me, ‘Son, if you enjoy your job, you will never work a day in your life.’ Well, he was definitely correct.”
