Moose Jaw paramedics Angela Sereda and Jim Madden recently received the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal from Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty for at least 25 years of exemplary service, with both Sereda and Madden having accrued more than 30 years each in their field.
"I'm honoured to have received this medal, I feel very humbled, and it was just a really great experience to go to Regina and be surrounded by my peers, as well as other emergency services personnel, all celebrating everyone's successes within their career," Sereda said. Sereda is the manager of Medavie Health Services West's Mobile Integrated Health unit, including the community paramedic program in Moose Jaw, which she originated. Her portfolio also includes eight programs in Saskatoon and some Alberta EMS services, as well.
Sereda and her husband Kyle recently relocated from Moose Jaw to Saskatoon, where Kyle is the new EMS Chief.
"Our move to Saskatoon was a tough decision, but Kyle's role is here now," Sereda explained. "My role can really be anywhere, but the majority of my programs are based here, so it just made sense. ... That community paramedicine program is quite unique, and I'm quite integrated with it because I started it, and it's being replicated in other areas now, so I still get to be a part of Moose Jaw, and I'm still the chair of Heartland Hospice for one more year."
Sereda is Madden's boss and nominated him for the Protective Services Medal. She noted that the medal is not just about years of service, but also the quality of that service, ongoing positive contributions, and growth and professional development.
"When Kyle and I first moved to Moose Jaw in 2009 and took over Moose Jaw District EMS, Jim became one of our employees, but we'd known him for years before that," Sereda said. "He's made significant contributions to paramedicine, and just in the last few years, he's reinvested and went back to school for his advanced certificate of community paramedicine, which is an 18-month program. So, we're very proud of that."
"I started in probably 1985. I'm from Rosetown, originally, and I started in the fire department there first, and then I moved to the ambulance right after, just volunteering, right, because that's all it was back then," Madden explained. He moved to Moose Jaw in 1987 and has been working in paramedicine ever since. He originally trained as an Emergency Medical Technician around 1986, upgraded to paramedic around 1991 and, after many years in the profession and many retrainings and upgrades, became an Advanced Care Paramedic.
"Since then, two and a half years ago I took my community paramedicine training as well, and that's where I'm working now," Madden added.
"I feel very happy and privileged to get (the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal), there's a lot of other people who should get it as well. So, I feel a bit singled out, you know, I do think lots of people deserve it, but it's very nice, very honoured to be recognized.
"There's good and bad days being a paramedic, of course, right? A lot of people just see the gloom and doom in healthcare, but it's very rewarding to go out and help people on their worst days. ... When we get new people in, students, whatever else I tell them, I say most of our skills are talking to people, communicating with people. ... You never know what you're going to get, and some calls go well and others don't, which is hard, but whatever happens, you're there with people during their scariest moments, calming them and caring for them, and that's the best part of the career."
In response to some providers blocking access to Canadian news on their platforms, our website, MooseJawToday.com will continue to be your source for hyper-local Moose Jaw news. Bookmark MooseJawToday.com and sign up for our free online newsletter to read the latest local developments.
