Who was the first Paramedic in the US or Canada ?

[crotchitymedic1986]

If I remember my history, it seems that Paramedics / EMS first got started in Canada, and then spread in 3 or 4 US cities after the "white paper". Does anyone know who the first paramedic was ? I know Jim Page was the pioneer for Los Angeles paramedics, but i am not sure if he was the first medic ?

Who was/is the first one ?

[Michael]

[Kaisu]

I don't know who number one is(was), but my paramedic instructor in WI, Jeffery B. Clarke, is #5 nationally registered. He is number 2 in Wisconsin, which still burns his ass because he taught the class that he also graduated from. One of his students has a last name that starts with B - so state gave the student #1 and the instructor was stuck with #2.

[Urbanmedic461]

I'm thinking that the first "paramedics" would have been ones who went through the "Fundamentals of Casualty Care" course at Canadian Forces Base Borden.

I know that Toronto, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie (and others that I haven't heard specifically about) had "Orderly Attendants" before this. Drop the broom and run for the truck. There is still one person I work with who had a single digit badge number from the Orderly Attendant days.

Sault Ste. Marie had a pretty advanced program that was quickly disbanded once the province stepped in. IVs D-fibs etc... and this was years before D-fibs were officially put on the trucks.

The military most likely had the first true medics though. To find a specific person may be difficult.

[crotchitymedic1986]

It shouldnt be that hard, i mean if you can do family trees to determine your ancestors back to the 1600s, there should be some way to find the first certified or licensed medic in the US or Canada in the 1960s.

[Urbanmedic461]

Not sure where you would find that resource :?

Would be interesting none the less.

Happy hunting.

[firedoc5]

Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto :wink:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[AnthonyM83]

If I remember my history, it seems that Paramedics / EMS first got started in Canada, and then spread in 3 or 4 US cities after the "white paper". Does anyone know who the first paramedic was ? I know Jim Page was the pioneer for Los Angeles paramedics, but i am not sure if he was the first medic ?

Who was/is the first one ?

I thought it started in Ireland with that doc and his defibrillation machine, then copied in a few other countries the next year...

[BEorP]

Your question is vague. You need to define what you mean by "Paramedics / EMS."

[Dustdevil]

It shouldnt be that hard, i mean if you can do family trees to determine your ancestors back to the 1600s, there should be some way to find the first certified or licensed medic in the US or Canada in the 1960s.

If only it were that easy.

http://www.nremt.org/nremt/about/nremt_history.asp

The NREMT wasn't even chartered until 1971. The same year, the first EMT-A's were certified. But the first NREMT-Ps were not certified until 1978, the year I came home from active duty. We had EMT-Ps in Texas since 1974 or 75, if I remember correctly. Other states started even earlier. Not to mention those non "certified" personnel that were practising ALS under some local agreement before certification came around. So, at the very least, you'd have to check with almost every state and province's regulatory body to see who and when they first certified.