City of Calgary recognizes young heroes

The City of Calgary recognized eight young Calgarians at today’s 9-1-1 Heroes Awards Ceremony for using quick, calm thinking to appropriately dial 9-1-1.

Nominated by the Emergency Communications Officer (ECO) who took their 9-1-1 call or an emergency services partner, each young hero recognized today provided significant assistance to emergency responders and those needing help.

“We are so proud of these brave young individuals and their ability to keep cool under pressure,” says Calgary 9-1-1 Acting Commander Doug Odney. “It is an honour to recognize young people in our community who have made the difference in an emergency situation.”

Awards were presented by the nominating ECO, Calgary 9-1-1 Acting Commander Doug Odney, Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth, Calgary Police Service Acting Superintendent Gerry Francois, EMS Foundation’s Chris Salmon and Alberta Health Services’ EMS Stuart Brideaux.

Odney says The City offers various tools to help parents teach children how and when to call 9-1-1. “Knowing how and when to call 9-1-1 is an important skill for all citizens to have. The children we are recognizing today have set a great example everyone can learn from. We thank these young heroes for providing help to another person who was very likely experiencing one of the worst days of his or her life.”

The 9-1-1 Heroes Awards Ceremony leads into to National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), which will be observed from April 9 to 15 this year. NPSTW recognizes the first of the first responders who are always there to walk citizens through emergency situations 24 hours a day.

Calgary 9-1-1 receives, evaluates and dispatches 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls for its internal stakeholder agencies which include Calgary Police Service and Calgary Fire Department. In addition, Calgary 9-1-1 is contracted as the satellite dispatch centre for call evaluation and dispatch for Alberta Health Services Emergency Medical Services in Calgary and is the public safety answer point and fire call evaluation and dispatch centre for Rockyview County, M.D. of Bighorn and seven additional communities.

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