On November 20, 2019 Halton Regional Council recognized Halton paramedic Ian Gibson for his Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery that he received at Queen’s Park on October 22.
“On behalf of Regional Council, we are proud to recognize Ian Gibson and all of our paramedics for the work you do to help keep our community safe,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We are fortunate to have highly trained paramedics who perform life-saving skills, educate residents on important health and safety practices and provide urgent medical care to residents when they need it most.”
In June 2019, paramedic Ian Gibson was off-duty at a restaurant in Kitchener, when a female entered the restaurant with a gunshot wound. As Gibson began treating the female, he noticed a male lying in the parking lot who appeared to be in distress.
Gibson instructed staff at the restaurant to continue applying pressure to the female patient’s wound, and quickly went out to the parking lot to assist the male. He performed CPR until Waterloo Regional Police and Region of Waterloo Paramedics arrived at the scene. The patient was resuscitated and airlifted to a trauma unit.
The Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery is the highest honour in recognition of paramedics. The award was created to recognize individual acts of outstanding courage and bravery performed by members of Ontario’s paramedic services.
The recipients of this award are individuals whose actions exemplify selfless courage without concern for their own personal safety. The award was presented to Gibson by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health on October 22.
Gibson was also one of five paramedics recognized in September by the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs (OAPC) for his actions to preserve public health and safety in Ontario and to advance the profession of paramedicine.
About Halton Region's Paramedic Services
Halton has more than 270 paramedics who respond to more than 50,000 calls and transport more than 30,000 patients annually. Operating from 12 ambulance stations, they provide pre-hospital care to residents in Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville.
To learn more about Halton Region’s Paramedic Services, visit halton.ca.