You would think that coming out of the depths of old man frigid winter with its icy roads and heavy snow that it would somehow become easier to keep safe, that our highways and roads would be easier – not more treacherous – to navigate.
Astonishingly, the reverse is true. With spring/summer’s dry and hot weather in full force, emergency responders see an uptick in activity, whether its in responding to collisions or in responding to fire calls, and Fire Chief Trevor Kotowich notes that the latter incidences are often caused by human error. The usual slew of serious ATV injuries are also starting to trickle in, as Edmonton zone’s chief medical officer of death warned that children under the age of 16 are in particular risk of injury or death when it comes to unsafe ATV use.
This May 24 to 30 marks Paramedic Services Week, a week that highlights the skills and work of paramedics. We should count ourselves as lucky to have dedicated and caring people on hand in times of emergency, including emergency medical service responders, fire fighters and RCMP. It can’t be an easy task responding to cases of serious injury or death, and still harder when they are unable to save a life.
But it lies in our hands to make their work a little easier. Everyone of us has the ability to use common sense whether it’s in lighting fires, driving vehicles/quads, boating or swimming, and in teaching children to use the same common sense.
The summer will end but hopefully, with a little common sense, life will go on.
