# "Making the Strong Stronger"



## mariomike (18 Nov 2015)

Making the Strong Stronger: An Investigation into how the Toronto Paramedic Services Address Staff Operational Stress Injuries

City of Toronto Ombudsman report, November 2015

Young people considering a career in Toronto Emergency Services may find this of interest. In particular, the chapter "Knowing What You're Getting Into – Pre-Employment Screening". 
Such as excluding applicants that demonstrate lower resiliency traits or who were otherwise unstable from an emotional/psychological level to engage in the type of work done by paramedics. 

"A retired chief from TPS told us during his interview that, in his opinion, the onus is squarely on the colleges, "so that not only are people going to be successful in the community college program, but within their first year of employment they're not going to fall into difficulties because of this whole issue of PTSD." He noted that, in his experience, there are "too many horror stories" of paramedics that have successfully completed the college program and after their first or second traumatic call, "that's when they find out they're not cut out for it."

The City has agreed to implement all 26 recommendations in the report by November 1, 2016:
http://ombudstoronto.ca/sites/default/files/Ombudsman%20Report%20-%20TPS%20-%20November%202015.pdf


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