Here’s a new question. What have you done recently to bring the profession of paramedics together?
I’ve recently been introduced to a pod cast called “The Speech That Changed Thousands of Lives”. It’s based on the book “The Power of One More” by Ed Mylett who narrates the pod cast. The premise within the pod cast and the book is that decisions made today can make a difference, and what could you do if you added “one more” of something. In the pod cast the author speaks about his father who was once an alcoholic and turned his life around. He essentially made it his mission to help those who struggled like him, one at a time. Of course, there’s a lot more to the pod cast and the book as it speaks to strategies that build self confidence and personal standards, but more importantly, it focuses on the concept of the Power of One More.
As mentioned in a previous article, the Alberta Paramedic Association (Association) started off as means for paramedics within the industry to build a united voice. In the beginning, it was a bit of an onerous task. While trying to unite a profession, there were many ideologies as the profession is so diverse which made it difficult to solidify a true identity. Without establishing a defined identity, the Association struggled to move forward which led to some cracks and instability within the newly poured foundations.
Today, the foundation of the Association is stable. Its Mission is to support the advancement of the knowledge, skills and health & wellness of the paramedic profession. The Vision is to empower Alberta’s practitioners to lead their own profession through an elected, representative body. You can find these statements listed on our website under the banner of Stronger Together.
Now the website isn’t perfect, these writings (or those in the past weeks and months) may or may not be read without finding a few spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, and the past may not have been without some miscalculations. But the volunteers within the Association work within the Mission towards a Vision to unite paramedics to provide a VOICE for its members and empower them to lead their own profession and battle those obstacles that continue to divide us. We continue to encourage individuals within the profession to Become a Member of the Association and we provide items that paramedics need like insurance through PROLINK as a means to support the mission and vision. We believe that together we can accomplish empowerment for the profession, and by adding one more member at a time we increase our potential. The Association does not underestimate the power of one more. Nor should you.
Whether you’re a current member or a past member, we value your affiliation. If you are a current member, we ask you to consider taking a challenge towards creating that one voice by simply recruiting One More from the profession to the Association. If you’re a past member, we want you back (and your paramedic friends) because we believe we have something to offer and we believe you have something to offer us. There’s power in one more. The larger the membership, the broader the representation, the clearer we are on the issues, the louder the voice, and the stronger the profession becomes.
So, back to the question, “What have you done recently to bring the profession of paramedics together”? If you’re interested in listening to the Pod Cast identified above, here it is.
Thank you for all you do out there, and all the best to you and your families in the holiday season!