Wearing of non recognized medals in EMS

[mariomike]

The 12-year "Alberta Emergency Services Medal" seems to be a way of compensating those who would be ineligible for the 20-year
( Federal ) Exemplary Service Medal ( ESM ).

"Dispatchers employed in the public sector supporting emergency responders."

Emergency Medical Dispatchers ( EMD ) would be ineligible for the ESM. EMDs do important work. But, a sit-down job in a clean, inside environment with no heavy lifting and a thermostat on the wall does not meet the "performance of duties involving potential risk" criteria for an ESM.

"Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, including paramedics and emergency medical responders (EMR) as defined by the Health Professions Act, employed in public service."

Only licenced AEMCA Paramedics are permitted to service 9-1-1 calls in Ontario.

Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) require 80 to 120 hours of training. Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), require a two-year diploma of paramedicine. Advanced Care Paramedics (ACP) require an additional year of training and clinical experience totaling three years of education, and Critical Care Paramedics (CCP) require a final year of education totaling four years of education.
Although not yet required to apply, a bachelor's degree of paramedicine is becoming the standard educational requirement for those hired.

Like come on, make a decision on where it's supposed to friggin go lol

In the US, from what I have read, military ribbons are not generally worn on emergency service uniforms ( to avoid mixing military with departmental ribbons. )

The City of Los Angeles, however, is a notable exception,

"LAPD authorizes military and LAPD ribbons to be worn on our LAPD class A uniform during authorized events and inspections."
https://www.joinlapd.com/military

 

[daftandbarmy]

While we're on the subject of 'bling' for non-CAF members...

....who should/ is authorized to wear the Canadian Flag on their uniformed shoulders, you know, like CAF members do?

 

[brihard]

While we're on the subject of 'bling' for non-CAF members...

....who should/ is authorized to wear the Canadian Flag on their uniformed shoulders, you know, like CAF members do?

That would be up to the organization, but I see no reason anyone or any organization should be restricted by some law from wearing a Canadian flag as part of a uniform.

 

[northernmedic]

does anyone know what this Toronto Paramedic is wearing around is neck?  Is it some sort of British Order of Merit or Chivalry? 

 

[mariomike]

does anyone know what this Toronto Paramedic is wearing around is neck? 

I know, and like, the man on the left. No idea what all the bling is for.

All I paid attention to was the lower left sleeve.

 

[Remius]

Maybe a city award.

Ottawa has an "Order of Ottawa" medal.  It isn't recognised anywhere else.

When I was in scouts, there were bravery awards handed out by the GG.  But they were scout medals.  You could wear it on your scout uniform or your suit or whatever but it was not officially sanctioned by Rideau Hall.

As far as I care, people can wear whatever they want within whatever rules they fall under.  If a city has a free for all banana republic general's uniform policy fill your boots.  If you have set rules or fall under certain formalised rules then follow them.  If you earned something via the Canadian Honours system then follow the rules.

Wear as many made up medals as you want.  In scouts we called them merit badges.

Just don't wear real ones if you haven't earned them.

 

[mariomike]

Would this be something that is frowned upon in Military circles?   

New York City avoids the frowns by restricting their police officers, firefighters and paramedics to wearing ONLY departmental medals, ribbons, citations etc. awarded by the City on their departmental uniforms.

ie: Non-departmental medals, ribbons etc. from other agencies ( eg: military ) are not worn on departmental uniforms.

Toronto has not adopted that policy, yet.

Top image is of the medals awarded each and every year to NYC firefighters and paramedics. ( Firefighters and paramedics belong to the same department. FDNY )

Bottom image is of the medals awarded each and every year to NYPD officers.

https://milnet.ca/forums/threads/128030/post-1534037.html#msg1534037

 

[chrisf]

While we're on the subject of 'bling' for non-CAF members...

....who should/ is authorized to wear the Canadian Flag on their uniformed shoulders, you know, like CAF members do?

Anyone, no authorization required.

 

[mariomike]

Anyone, no authorization required.

If I recall correctly, in Toronto, we started seeing the Canadian flag displayed more prominently on emergency services vehicles and uniforms immediately after 9/11.

If a city has a free for all banana republic general's uniform policy fill your boots. 

I only worked for one city.

Just shy of 37 years ( full-time ) doing nothing but 9-1-1 calls.

I received exactly one medal from the City. When I retired.

 

[brihard]

does anyone know what this Toronto Paramedic is wearing around is neck?  Is it some sort of British Order of Merit or Chivalry? 

LOL, no. It’s the ‘Order of St George’. It’s a ‘pay to play’ group, basically a weirdly constructed sort of charity for veterans. You pay your membership fee, you get a neck gong. It looks convincing, but has no actual recognized existence in our system of honours and awards.

 

[chrisf]

If I recall correctly, in Toronto, we started seeing the Canadian flag displayed more prominently on emergency services vehicles and uniforms immediately after 9/11.

At work we regulalry get coveralls with a Canadian Flag patch on one shoulder and the provincial flag on the other.

It's not a "uniform" or even in the spec for the coveralls we buy, it's just how one supplier supplies them.

They're usually pretty black or brown after a few weeks.

 

[mariomike]

Compared to The City of Toronto, The City of New York awards a lot of "bling" to their police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

They do not wear miltary or other medals or ribbons etc. on their departmental uniforms.

This is just for NYC firefighters and paramedics, ( NYPD not included ),
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/fdny/downloads/pdf/about/medal-day-book-2018.pdf

When reading their "Medal Day" book, I find it helps to keep in mind that 343 NYC firefighters and paramedics - out of a force of 8648 - were KIA in a single day.

That does not include members who later died of health related issues.

( Those numbers do not include NYPD. ) 

NYPD has their own Medal Day.
http://nypdnews.com/2018/06/2018-nypd-medal-day/

....who should/ is authorized to wear the Canadian Flag on their uniformed shoulders, you know, like CAF members do?

I don't know about the rest of Canada, but since 9/11, the Maple Leaf has been part of the uniform of Toronto's three emergency services.

If you earned something via the Canadian Honours system then follow the rules.

Ottawa gave me an Exemplary Service Medal ( ESM ).
That came after 33 years of running 9-1-1 calls in North America's fourth largest city ( NYC, LA, Mexico City, Toronto ).
It was nice of them, but I have never worn it.

As I, recall, back in the 1980's, Toronto was talking about going with a medal program similar to New York's. The feds frowned upon that idea, and came up with the ESM. They wanted to be the source, rather than City Hall.

Which I find ironic, because the ESM is the only involvement the federal government has ever had in our operation.

 

[majormedalmounting@gmail.]

Read a lot of "opinions" on wearing of unofficial medals such as the Toronto EMS medal. Simple fact is, if it's not listed on the Canadian Honours and Awards Order of Precedence chart, then it isn't authorized for wear with other awards. If you want to wear it that badly, put it on the right side of your uniform; don't get it mounted with your Canadian Forces, Jubilee, or other official Long Service medals. Just follow the rules, they're not that complicated.

 

[brihard]

Read a lot of "opinions" on wearing of unofficial medals such as the Toronto EMS medal. Simple fact is, if it's not listed on the Canadian Honours and Awards Order of Precedence chart, then it isn't authorized for wear with other awards. If you want to wear it that badly, put it on the right side of your uniform; don't get it mounted with your Canadian Forces, Jubilee, or other official Long Service medals. Just follow the rules, they're not that complicated.

This thread has been completely dormant for five years, just fyi.

 

[majormedalmounting@gmail.]

Omg, Brihard... thanks. Didn't notice the dates! (Guessing this isn't a problem anymore! hah!)

 

[Booter]

Read a lot of "opinions" on wearing of unofficial medals such as the Toronto EMS medal. Simple fact is, if it's not listed on the Canadian Honours and Awards Order of Precedence chart, then it isn't authorized for wear with other awards. If you want to wear it that badly, put it on the right side of your uniform; don't get it mounted with your Canadian Forces, Jubilee, or other official Long Service medals. Just follow the rules, they're not that complicated.

People earn medals from their provinces as well and it shows a lack of decorum to not wear them in the province you’ve been given one by. The city of Toronto owns the uniform they can say they want their members to wear their decorations how they’d like.

Go gatekeep elsewhere. It’s even written in the RCMP manuals as well. Put in their even after it was pointed out regarding the Canadian Honours “rules”.

And the wearing your medals wrong blog has incorrect info on it that hasn’t been corrected in years- I’d suggest their blathering about incorrect info is more detrimental than someone with the Order of Ayatollah’s on their jacket.

I have zero medals. I don’t care. Ive met gigantic losers with fantastic racks, it’s meaningless except for what you earn it for.

Make up your own. Swallow them. Who cares.

 

[eliminator]

People earn medals from their provinces as well and it shows a lack of decorum to not wear them in the province you’ve been given one by. The city of Toronto owns the uniform they can say they want their members to wear their decorations how they’d like.

Go gatekeep elsewhere. It’s even written in the RCMP manuals as well. Put in their even after it was pointed out regarding the Canadian Honours “rules”.

And the wearing your medals wrong blog has incorrect info on it that hasn’t been corrected in years- I’d suggest their blathering about incorrect info is more detrimental than someone with the Order of Ayatollah’s on their jacket.

I have zero medals. I don’t care. Ive met gigantic losers with fantastic racks, it’s meaningless except for what you earn it for.

Make up your own. Swallow them. Who cares.

I think the 'issue' at hand is that fact that its common in many provinces to wear non-official honours with official national honours. Specifically mounting them in the same rack...thereby 'inflating' their service (whether intentional or not). There's folks walking around with multiple medals for the same service...the national Exemplary Service Medal for 20, then a provincial one for 20, and then a city one for 20.

The Paramedics Association of New Brunswick created a long service medal a few years ago and state very clearly in their regulations that it is not to be mounted with official honours and only worn on the right side. When I attended their annual gala awards ceremony last year, there every single member wore it correctly.

Wearing non-official national honours is fine, just wear them on the right side of the uniform and don't mix them with official national honours. For comparison, this practice is very common in Australia.

 

[Booter]

It’s specifically stated where to wear them in the manuals- and it’s on the left side. There is no “inflation” that’s made up. If a guy has three medals and you say where did you serve and he tells you it’s twenty years of service, followed by 12 of service in Alberta, and then 10 years in Edmonton- he still has to say that nonsense out loud.

 

[Booter]

All Long service and commemorative decorations are inflation. Change my mind.

This is tongue in cheek Eliminator. I don’t think I disagree. I think it’s all silly bits of fabric where people organize themselves by some imaginary competence when it may be that they put on a dance routine for the Queen.

The right side Australian thing is fine too. It’s all fine.

But the various governments own their uniforms. And they can put whatever they like wherever- including the RCMP that has specifically allowed for it. Even though they are Federal. The same federal that made the honours system in the first place. Clearly the fount of honours doesn’t care as much as the guy who owns the business mounting medals

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The Canadian government can't be bothered, in the vast majority of cases, to prosecute offences contrary to our Honours and Awards.

If serving, follow the rules.

If you're not serving, do what you want, but be ready to explain yourself should someone notice and take issue.