Siksika gains it’s first paramedic
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
It may be hard to believe in this day and age, but Siksika Nation has only recently gained their first paramedic. Samuel Mark Wolf Leg is the first Siksika-born paramedic for the first nations reserve.
Across Alberta there are between five to seven native paramedics, numbers that are shockingly low.
“A lot of people don’t see native paramedics out there so they don’t really have somebody to go towards, I guess, to ask for advice or anything like that,” said Wolf Leg.
“It’s a hard field to get natives into, it’s a hard field to get non natives into, its kind of a different personality you have to have to get into the field for it.”
A paramedic and EMT may seem like the same thing but there are big differences. As a paramedic you’re trained and allowed to give a lot more different drugs. They are allowed to put a tube down somebody’s throat. They’re allowed to do a lot of different techniques that will help patient care, said Wolf Leg.
“I took my first course back in 2003, but prior to 2003 it’s something that’s kind of been in the back of my mind for maybe the ten years previous. So it’s something that kind of has always been there for quite awhile and I just finally took the steps to go towards it,” said Wolf Leg. He spent three and a half years at SAIT, training and studying, and it has paid off for him.
Wolf Leg has officially been a paramedic for just under two months. He said being trained for it and actually being in it are two entirely different things.
“A lot of stuff I’ve done on my paramedic practicums to help prepare to get to this point, it’s just a whole other experience being at this point and not having somebody look over your shoulder to make sure you’re doing everything ok.”
Siksika has two ambulances, and during busy times they are able to put three out. Right now Wolf Leg plans to focus his attention on the Siksika Nation but he does help in Strathmore. He said Strathmore is where they bring their patients, and if Strathmore is busy with calls then Siksika will go help, and vice versa.