Reflections From a New Brunswick Medic
Updated: Oct 11
After more than 33 years in emergency services, I have carried countless moments with me: the first breath of a newborn, the last breath of a patient, the desperate hope of a family and the quiet weight of calls we could never forget. My message is simple: the people who spend their lives caring for others deserve to be remembered, supported and honoured.
Throughout our careers, paramedics see life at its most fragile. We help bring babies into the world and care for people as they leave it. We perform
CPR, treat life-threatening injuries and care for patients struggling to breathe or experiencing strokes and heart attacks. We respond to collisions, overdoses, violence and mental health crises—often in situations no one could ever truly prepare us for. We hold the hands of frightened patients. We comfort children and support families whose lives have changed in an instant. We witness final breaths and face moments when, despite every effort, we cannot bring someone home.
We also witness remarkable courage, unexpected recoveries and the relief on a loved one’s face when our care makes a difference. Those moments stay with us, too. Behind every uniform is a person. Behind that person is a family. And behind a career of answering calls are experiences that can stay with us long after a shift ends—sometimes for a lifetime.
To every paramedic carrying the weight of those experiences: you deserve the same care and compassion you give to others. Asking for help is a sign of courage, and you should never have to struggle alone. To the families of colleagues we have lost: their service mattered. Their lives mattered. Their stories deserve to be remembered and honoured with a lasting place in our nation’s capital.
That is why I believe in a National Paramedic Monument in Ottawa, and why I support the Road to the Monument. Let’s keep the conversation going, care for one another and turn years of advocacy into a place where paramedics and their families can gather, reflect and remember.
Many Partners. One Mission. One Monument
Author, Phil Comeau, New Brunswick Paramedic
As I read your words Phil ...I must say you have provided an extensive summation of what reflects the day to day life of a paramedic..as I read these words I reflect on my career in paramedicine...we really experience so much...some good...some great and some so very tragic..we all cope in various ways...some healthy and some not so healthy...our mental health really matters...this really is positive to see much more consideration of the mental health of paramedics in the workplace