December 16, 2008, Saint-Lazare – The Saint Lazare Medical Response Unit last week celebrated five years of emergency pre-hospital service to the community. To mark the special anniversary, the service held a reception for many of their most fervent supporters from the five-year period.
The Saint Lazare Medical Response Unit began providing first responder service to Saint Lazare in December 2003. Since that time, the service has added a CPR training program for the public.
Co-directors, Nick D’Ulisse and Nelly Stipdonk welcomed guests to the anniversary reception including Saint-Lazare Mayor Paul Carzoli, Councillors Michel St-Louis and Brigitte Asselin, Saint Lazare Fire Chief Daniel Boyer, Hudson Fire Chief Peter Milot, and many other community and business leaders.
Three special guests told the crowd about the impact the Saint Lazare Medical Reponse Unit has made in their lives.
Josee Santa Maria and her daughter Mikala moved many to tears recounting the day Mikala used the Heimlich Maneuver on her mother.
When Josee began to choke, Mikala used what she had learned in one of the Saint Lazare Medical Response Unit’s CPR courses. She told those gathered that she took the course when she was thirteen in order to be a better babysitter and never imagined she would end up using her skills on someone so close to her.
Michel Greffard said he was thankful for the efforts of the first responders, even though he has no direct memory of what it was that the team did for him. Greffard recounted what he could remember: a cold day in February when he was four-wheeling on one of Saint Lazare’s trails. On that day, he was working hard to move his ATV through deep snow when he began to suffer chest pain. His friends and family have told him that he then went into cardiac arrest on the trail.
D’Ulisse and Stipdonk presented recognition plaques to twenty one long-time supporters of the service.
The Saint Lazare Medical Response Unit also took the occasion to honour one of its own. Jean Noel, a member of the service since its inception, was given recognition for his exceptional contributions to the service over its five years.
The Saint Lazare Medical Response Unit is a non-profit, volunteer organization providing first responder service and CPR training. For more information on joining the service or taking a CPR course, visit online at www.saintlazare911.com or call 450 455 5824.
