A veteran paramedic recently recognized with a 'Heroes of Service' award says he is honoured by the recognition and hopes to continue mentoring younger colleagues.
Gregor Thimmig worked as a paramedic in the Niagara Region for over two decades before taking a position in the Sault three years ago.
For him, it represented a chance to serve the community where he grew up.
"I wanted a slower pace, you could say — and for me family comes first," Thimmig said.
On May 14, Thimmig received a 'Heroes of Service' award in a ceremony hosted by Crime Stoppers of Sault Ste. Marie and District. The awards celebrate emergency services personnel and law enforcement workers who go above and beyond to keep the community safe, strong and connected.
Each service nominates a member from within its ranks to receive the award. This year the Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Service selected Thimmig for his 'unwavering compassion, professionalism and dedication to both patient care and team well being.'
"Known for his calm, kind presence, Gregor brings not only clinical excellence to every call but also a deep commitment to preserving the dignity and comfort for those in crisis. His ability to connect with patients during their most vulnerable moments leaves a lasting impact," said the dedication in the award program.
Thimmig said he is honoured to receive the award and hopes to lead by example for the next generation of paramedics in the service.
"I've been in it for quite a while and I'd like others to feel valued and appreciated and for people to see the small things that they do, as well," said Thimmig.
The award came just a few days before Paramedic Services Week, which ran from May 18-24.
In Niagara, Thimmig worked with a paramedic service that covered four area hospitals and served a significantly larger population than Sault Ste. Marie. He said one of the biggest differences working in the Sault and surrounding area is the distance to some calls, which come in as far away as Montreal River — about an hour and a half drive each way.
"In the bigger city, everything's roughly half an hour to maybe 40 minutes away, so that's a big challenge," he said.
Thimmig said those long distance emergency calls can have an effect on response times across the service area because there are only so many ambulance crews available.
"If we have two crews going out towards Goulais River or Montreal River, we're depleted," he said.
In those circumstances when response times are longer than usual, Thimmig said he hopes people understand the challenges faced by paramedics.
As an avid cyclist, one service offered in Niagara that Thimmig would like to see initiated here is a bike paramedic program in the summer.
"We don't have that many tourists, so having a bike medic team wouldn't be a big thing but maybe down the road it could be," he said.