EMS Chief Receives St. Clair College Community Partnership Award

When COVID-19 restrictions prevented St. Clair College student paramedics from getting real-world experience, Essex-Windsor EMS went to them.

Chief Bruce Krauter’s integral role in helping to develop and execute an on-campus simulation for students has earned him the college’s inaugural Community Partnership Award.

College President Patti France arrived at the Essex County Civic Centre the morning of June 24 to surprise Krauter with the award — a glass statuette of a handshake.

“It’s very fitting that the very first 2020-21 inaugural award goes to Chief Bruce Krauter for his support, for always being a friend and for always being an ally and supporting education in our community,” France said.

The award was developed by the college to recognize an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution and commitment to advancing teaching and learning for students at St. Clair College. It was announced June 25 at the annual St. Clair Day staff awards ceremony, which was pre-recorded and presented on YouTube this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Krauter said he was shocked when France and John Fairley, the college’s vice-president of communications and community relations, showed up at his office with County of Essex CAO Mike Galloway and Human Resources Director Kristie Cronin.

“I just did what I had to do as the chief to ensure that the community has paramedics to provide service,” he said.

Throughout the pandemic, staff at Essex-Windsor EMS have had to be innovative and think outside the box, which is what they did to help the college, Krauter said.

Provincial health directives prevented St. Clair paramedic students in their final year from riding with professional paramedics as part of their training. The work placements help students build their skills and have long been considered essential training by employers, Fairley said.

St. Clair set out to replicate that hands-on experience at its Windsor campus using its own ambulance, radio system and health centre, which became the hospital emergency room in the simulations. Students were dispatched to respond to reports of illnesses and injuries on campus, with professional paramedics overseeing the exercise, acting as patients and grading each student’s performance.

Krauter played a key role in developing the modified training and assembling the paramedics who helped carry it out, Fairley said.

He then assisted the college in convincing the provincial government that the altered program ensured paramedic students were prepared when they graduated, said Fairley.

The results also benefitted Essex-Windsor EMS, which hired six of the 15 St. Clair paramedic program grads in May.

“This is a win-win for us and the college,” Galloway said. “I am proud of Bruce, Essex-Windsor EMS and all of our County staff members who work with and support the community.”

Warden Gary McNamara commended Krauter, Essex-Windsor EMS and St. Clair College for overcoming a major challenge to successfully train paramedic students.

“Having outstanding health-care agency leaders like Bruce Krauter during the pandemic has been invaluable for Windsor-Essex,” McNamara said.