This year has been a big one for Cameron Cox. Earlier in 2024, Cox started a new job in April, and this month he is getting married to his fiancé, Jade Miskelly. Both of them share one a common connection: Haldimand County Paramedic Services.
Cox, 31-years-old, was raised in Milton. Growing up, he moved around the Golden Horseshoe until, eventually, he and his fiancé settled in Caledonia.
Miskelly is a paramedic for Haldimand County.
“She started working there in May of 2021 and she was ranting and raving about how great it was to work there,” he recalled, admitting he didn’t know much about Haldimand prior to that.
When Haldimand Paramedic Services opened the call for new hires this past spring, it was an opportunity that Cox couldn’t turn down.
Before joining Haldimand Emergency Services himself, Cox worked as a paramedic in Peel Region. He noted, “I wanted something a little bit closer to home, because living in Caledonia it’s a bit of a drive.”
Now around six months into his new post, he has no complaints to share about the move.
“The work environment has been outstanding, and the management is very nice. It’s very easy to work with my co-workers,” said Cox.
Currently, he serves as a primary care paramedic. It is the same role he held in Peel, but there is at least one difference he is appreciating: the ability for greater training and advancement possibilities.
“I’m doing training tomorrow on a palliative program through our base hospital,” said Cox. “That’s something that isn’t offered in the bigger city. (It) is nice.”
“There’s a surprising amount of room for upward travel and improvement,” he added.
Cox shared that his first six months in Haldimand have been a “huge change of pace” compared to his work in the city as well.
“Going from a larger service to a smaller service – it’s been an amazing, an amazing change. It seems like it’s so much more of a family-oriented service. Pretty much the best part of it is like, you all know each other, and everybody gets along with each other for the most part.”
He has also been very impressed with the County’s community medic program, which sees a team of Haldimand paramedics making regular house calls with certain residents, allowing those residents to live at home longer as they receive regular preventative care and ultimately reducing the strain on both 911 calls and hospital beds. Cox called the program one of the best in the province.
Some things never change, whether you’re a paramedic in the smallest of towns or largest of cities.
For Cox personally, he said the most satisfying part of the job has always been knowing during calls that “you can make a difference in somebody’s life, whether it’s just through talking through a tough situation, helping through the traumatic event, or treating them,” he said. “Bettering their health conditions and having that real-time satisfaction using the skill set that you work toward – it’s incredibly rewarding.”
“So far, I’m loving working for the County,” concluded Cox. “I’m excited to continue improving my skillset and helping out the citizens of Haldimand when they call for a paramedic.”
So the next time you see a Haldimand ambulance cruising the county as they await their next call, give them a wave and you may just be giving a welcome to some of Haldimand’s newest recruits.
