ST. JOHN AMBULANCE
ST. JOHN AMBULANCE: SAVING LIVES AT WORK, HOME & PLAY
S t. John Ambulance is synony- mous with First Aid and CPR training, and each year, the national organization enables more than 500,000 Canadians to become everyday heroes and save lives. Our training is considered Canada’s gold standard, with more than 6,000 certified instructors delivering CSA compliant Basic and Intermediate first aid courses including CPR and use of an AED. These courses build confidence, teach effective emergency scene management skills, and save lives. And there’s so much more to our organization… Our Medical First Responders volunteer 34,000 hours at 500 events across the province, treating more than 500 sick and injured Manitobans annually. Manitobans’ safety is our first priority. Medical First Responders (MFR) provide first aid coverage at Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Brandon Wheat Kings games, Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Manitoba Marathon, Centennial Concert Hall, and many more. Without our services, many patients would require pre-hospital and emergency room care, adding a considerable expense to the local RHA and creating a further burden on our medical system. In 2020, Manitoba MFR teams assisted with both federal and provincial government initiatives, and have been working at WRHA COVID-19 test sites. Our Therapy Dog volunteer teams volunteer
St. John Ambulance Canada, established in 1883, is part of one of the world’s oldest humanitarian organizations—the Order of St. John, a worldwide, non-denominational charity dedicated to the service of others for more than 900 years.
10,000+ hours, serving 90,000 people in our communities each year. St. John Ambulance has developed partnerships with Ronald McDonald House, Stony Mountain Penitentiary, John Howard Society, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Health Sciences Centre, WRHA flu clinics, colleges, and universities to name a few. In addition to therapy dog visits to countless personal care homes, hospitals, and schools, we have created specialized programs: • Therapy Animals Involved in Literacy
Skills (T.A.I.L.S.) is a motivational, confidence-building, low stress canine- assisted reading program for children experiencing difficulties with reading. • Special Paws for Special Kids therapy dog teams provide focused attention to high- needs children in schools. The handler and dog work with school staff to further educational objectives through a variety of activities. We are very proud of our strong history as a charity in Manitoba, but we have also evolved to meet emerging needs throughout the pandemic. We now offer Blended Online First Aid Training, and Mental Health First Aid and opioid overdose awareness are part of all our physical first aid courses. We are also proud to offer standalone Mental Health First Aid training, both online and in person. In Winnipeg, amid the added pressures of COVID-19, St. John Ambulance completed construction and moved into in a brand- new facility, still located at One St. John Ambulance Way in St. James, just off Portage Avenue. A new Training and Community Services Centre features four state-of-the-art classrooms, our regional HQ, and extensive volunteer support facilities. We now have more accessible space in a spectacular, modern facility to continue delivering classroom training and other community programs well into the future. Our Brandon Training Centre upstairs in the Shoppers Mall is open daily to serve you. ■ To learn more about courses, programs, volunteer and donor opportunities with St. John Ambulance Manitoba, NWT & Nunavut: www.sja.ca
46
SPRING 2021
Powered by FlippingBook