A woman from Williams Lake has received a B.C. Emergency Health Services Good Samaritan Award for assisting paramedics during a motor vehicle accident last summer near Avola B.C., 190 kilometres north of Kamloops.
Roberts, 25, was evacuating because of the wildfires in July 2017 and was en route from Prince George to Kamloops when she came upon the accident scene at about 8 p.m. at night.
“We were the second vehicle on the scene,” Roberts said. “I had my horses in my horse trailer and my dog in the back seat. As I was pulling the truck over I could see that no one else was there yet. We took off to the truck to help.”
During the award presentation held at the cenotaph in Williams Lake Monday, Clearwater paramedic Brielle Penner, who nominated Roberts for the award, said Roberts did an amazing job.
“There were three very critical patients and my partner needed to drive another paramedic, Darcy Lester, with a critical patient to the hospital and I asked Nicole if she was OK to help me,” Penner recalled. “I gave her a pen and paper and told her to write everything down and I told her ‘I need you to stay with this patient and tell me if anything changes.’ I went then and checked on the other patients.”
Penner praised Roberts for helping her the whole time and said because of her help they were able to move the patients into the back of the ambulance and stabilize them there.
“We were still waiting on another ambulance,” Penner explained. “We are very remote and had no communication or extra help. The closest help is about an hour away.”
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James Towle, district manager for the Fraser Cariboo region, said the Good Samaritan award is presented to honour bystanders responding immediately to an emergency situation and providing care and humanitarian support to a patient before medical help arrives.
“Nicole, you voluntarily placed yourself in a situation where even seasoned first responders have difficulty dealing with tasks,” Towle said during the award presentation. “You calmly helped Brielle the entire time, whose partner was driving a critical patient to the hospital, and enabled Brielle to provide emergency care to both patients.”
Two citizens awards are presented by BCEHS — one for bystanders starting CPR for people in cardiac arrest and the Good Samaritan Award.
“Thankfully Brielle took the initiative to fill out the online application for Nicole,” Towle said. “It’s dependent on the paramedics on scene to initiate it. It’s hard to say how often they are given out because it is province-wide, but looking at our internal bulletins I can see that it happens at least a couple of times a month.”
In rural areas there are a lot of times when there is only one ambulance and another ambulance is driving to the scene from a distance, Towle said, adding often bystanders will come and provide assistance.
Blue River paramedic Darcy Lester, who was the first responder on the scene, told the Tribune she was grateful for Roberts being there to help.
“All I want to say, is thank God for the thanklessness of Nicole,” Lester said. “She was instrumental in helping us manage the scene, which was quite chaotic. Her boyfriend and other key local responders were beneficial to helping us.”
Roberts said it was the first time she’d ever been first to the scene of an accident.
“I’ve taken a small first aid course and dealt with small injuries and small accidents, but nothing like that.”
Mayor Walt Cobb and Coun. Craig Smith, who attended the award presentation on behalf of the city, congratulated Roberts.
“It’s great to have community members who are willing to step up to the plate and help,” Cobb said.
Smith reminded that Roberts was a Stampede Princess in 2010.
“It’s nice to see someone who served the community continue to serve,” Smith said.
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Penner said she’s asked Roberts plenty of times to change careers, but so far she has not been able to persuade her from leaving her job at Econo Glass Ltd. in Williams Lake where she is the office manager.
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