After more than five decades in emergency medical services, Patrick Bellisle is stepping away from a career that spanned the evolution of ambulance care from basic first aid to highly trained, coordinated emergency response.
Bellisle, a senior leader with Parkland Ambulance Care, began working in EMS in 1975. He officially retires March 31, closing a professional journey that included frontline response, dispatch, leadership, and decades devoted to education, safety, and infection control.
Asked what first drew him into the profession, Bellisle was characteristically direct.
“Availability of a job,” he said.
What followed, however, became a lifetime commitment shaped by rapid change and increasing demand. Bellisle said his earliest days on an ambulance were defined by limited resources and long stretches of waiting.
“There was a lack of equipment, a lack of training, and nowhere near the volume of calls,” he said. “I waited three days before I got my first call. Today you might do 35 calls in a shift.”
Those early years were spent in Medicine Hat before Bellisle eventually moved to Prince Albert. He said call volumes then were far lower than what emergency crews face today, reflecting how much the role of paramedics has expanded.
Training and standards change in patient care
Among the most significant changes he witnessed was the introduction of standardized education and consistent levels of care.
“Standardized education made the biggest difference,” Bellisle said. “Equipment improved, but training and standards of care changed everything.”
Bellisle’s career gradually shifted toward leadership roles focused on education, occupational health and safety, and infection control, areas he said were not priorities when he first entered the field.
“When I started, infection control and safety just were not front and centre,” he said. “Those responsibilities grew over time, and training became a major part of my work.”
The value of collaboration
He credits much of that growth to collaboration with other health professionals.
We had great nurses and doctors who guided us early on,” Bellisle said. “The doctors are indispensable. They give feedback and help you grow.”
Community safety pressures in Prince Albert
Bellisle said Prince Albert faces complex challenges that continue to place pressure on emergency services, particularly related to crime, addictions, and mental health.
“Once a person is on meth, rational thought can be gone,” he said. “That affects the whole community. People yelling on the street affects everyone. It leads to police calls, ambulance calls, and fear for regular residents.”
He said improving safety requires a community-wide response that includes housing, addiction services, mental health supports, and coordinated emergency teams.
“Teamwork is everything,” Bellisle said. “Police, fire, ambulance, hospitals, rural responders. You have to communicate and work together because no single service can do it alone.”
Advice for the next generation
Asked what advice he would give to those entering EMS today, Bellisle emphasized preparation and listening.
“You got to be a little worldly in your knowledge,” he said. “If you are going to a motor vehicle collision or a fall or something of that nature, expect to see blood. Some of them do not think that far ahead. Listen to the preceptors, the older ones on the car, and if you are unsure, ask questions.”
A legacy built on people
Bellisle said the part of his career he is most proud of is not a single achievement, but the people he helped train.
“I hope my legacy involves the staff I had a hand in training,” he said. “Passing on knowledge so they can grow and then do the same for others.”
The legacy is also personal. Bellisle worked alongside his sons in emergency services, including one night when all three were on duty together. Another son continues working in detox services, and a daughter-in-law works in education and training in Alberta.
Looking ahead to retirement
As he enters retirement, Bellisle said he plans to spend time with his dog, go fishing, and enjoy quieter pursuits after a demanding EMS career.
“Every call teaches you something,” he said.
“Learning never really stops,” he said. “It’s continually growing and learning each and every year thereafter; every call is something new.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
