The president of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC says her members are “disheartened” that memorials that honour fallen paramedics are being taken down.
Bronwyn Barter says three walls that pay tribute to paramedics who’ve died in the line of duty have been taken down at BC Ambulance Service offices in Vancouver, Kamloops and Prince George.
She says a memo from the Crown corporation says it wants to celebrate successes, and not focus on death.
“At the end of the day, despite what the employer does or the government does here, we will always remember. We will always do what we need to do to remember the deaths and the people that served the paramedics of BC and the public. Despite what happens, we will always remember.”
BC Ambulance COO Les Fisher says he’s not reconsidering.
“We have our memorial wall at our provincial headquarters that maintains that tradition and that respect for our fallen. We also participate in the national day of mourning. And we have at the stations that were directly involved with these tragedies, those memorials and tributes are still there.”
Fisher says the service has received some positive feedback from staff, saying the change creates a more positive work environment.
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