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For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Great Glebe Garage Sale will provide onsite first-aid services through St. John Ambulance’s trained volunteers, complying with a new City of Ottawa mandate for medical support at large public events.
The Glebe Community Association invited St. John Ambulance to offer minor first aid, addressing a requirement in the city’s recently enforced 9-1-1 Triage System. This collaboration aims to reduce the strain on the city’s paramedic service.
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The organization will be stationed outside the community centre in the Glebe with more than 30 uniformed volunteers at the garage sale this Saturday. Additional volunteers will also support the Tamarack Ottawa Run Weekend.
Doug Thomas, managing director of St. John Ambulance in the Ottawa area, says the city now mandates onsite medical first-response services for large events like the Great Glebe Garage Sale.
“In theory, if somebody twisted an ankle at the Great Glebe Garage sales and they requested a paramedic, the paramedics would come, but it would tie up an ambulance and two paramedics for who knows how long. And, if they had to take the person to the hospital, it’s even worse,” Thomas said. “So, instead, we would deal with it. We would arrange transportation.”
Colette Downie, vice-president of the Glebe Community Association and co-ordinator for the sale, said the association invited St. John Ambulance for the first time this year. “It’s really just to find out whether their services are needed and will be used,” she said.
If this year’s trial goes well, Colette says the association will consider having them back in 2025.
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The Glebe Community Association has also introduced a water station on Bank Street and Third Avenue where attendees can refill their own water bottles.
Thomas says a modest donation from the Glebe Community Association will support St. John Ambulance’s operational and supply costs.
Since St. John Ambulance is not a private company, Thomas said the money donated by the Glebe association would stay in the community.
“There are private companies that do it, but they charge quite a bit of money and it makes it almost prohibitive for not-for-profit or community groups to afford them,” Thomas said. “I’m glad we’re able to help them out, and hopefully we’ll do it every year now.”
Downie, from the Glebe Community Association, said St. John Ambulance volunteers were not a substitute for calling 9-1-1 in severe situations. “They’re there for minor injuries. Folks should definitely call 9-1-1 if they really need it,” she said.
As Ottawa continues to enforce its new emergency response triage system, collaborations between first-aid providers and community organizations are expected to become more common during large events.
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