News release

Emergency Health Services Employees Honoured

Health and Wellness

NOTE: A list of Emergency Health Services employees receiving the award follows this release.


Today, November 21, the Province recognized 62 longtime Emergency Health Services employees, including Thomas MacLean of Sydney with his 45 years of service, for their hard work and dedication to keeping Nova Scotians safe.

Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Minister Colton LeBlanc, a former paramedic, presented the long-service awards at a ceremony in Halifax on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson.

“Paramedics play such a vital role in the delivery of healthcare. It is a demanding job and our province’s paramedics give their best every day to help people in their time of need,” said Minister LeBlanc. “I want to thank all of the award recipients for their years of service and dedication to the people of Nova Scotia.”

The recipients have a combined 1,530 years of service saving lives and providing emergency care in Nova Scotia. To qualify for the long-service award, employees must have at least 20 years of service and be in good standing with the College of Paramedics of Nova Scotia.

Quick Facts:

  • there are about 1,200 paramedics in Nova Scotia
  • in 2021, paramedics received about 183,500 calls, an average of about 500 per day
  • there are more than 200 vehicles in the Emergency Health Services fleet, including ambulances; patient transfer units, used between healthcare facilities for people who do not require urgent care; and vehicles for the medical transport service, which carries people who do not require medical care to and from hospital

Additional Resources:

Information on becoming a paramedic: https://novascotia.ca/dhw/ehs/becoming-a-paramedic.asp

The following is a list of award recipients:

20 years:

  • Marie-Ellen Allen
  • Nicole Anderson
  • Francis Bailey
  • Mike Bennett
  • Ken Bonnell
  • Francine Butts
  • Jason Cochrane
  • John Collicott
  • Karen Comeau
  • Sheena Conrad
  • Linda Delorey
  • Carl Deveau
  • Andrew Dixon
  • Arthur Doane
  • Tina Farmer
  • Todd Folz
  • Terence Hawco
  • Angela Hickox
  • Amber Humes
  • Adrian MacDonald
  • Andrea Marshall
  • Jennifer Rose
  • Bruce Sangster
  • Paula Sutherland
  • Max Taylor
  • David Terry
  • Michelle Travis
  • Peter You

25 years:

  • Leslie Bonnar
  • Shawn Burchell
  • Charles Carmichael
  • Paul Carr
  • Trevor Fougere
  • Bob Fradsham
  • Brian Hutt
  • Dana Jenkins
  • Albert Poirier
  • Richard Porter
  • Raymond Pothier
  • Loralei MacIntosh
  • Angie Matheson
  • Mark Melvin
  • Keith Odlin
  • Chuck Rogers
  • Brian Stockdale

30 years:

  • Randy Dean
  • Lyle Donovan
  • Glen Durant
  • Douglas Fleet
  • Michael Gittens
  • Crystal Larkin
  • Raymond MacAskill
  • Keith Veinotte
  • Mark Wheatley

35 years:

  • Gregory Bayers
  • Richard Campbell
  • Steve Connell
  • Reggie Currie
  • Ricky Young

40 years:

  • James Currie
  • Kevin MacMullin
  • Kerry Fletcher

45 years:

  • Thomas MacLean