Chris and Maria pose at the CACC headquarters.

Staff at Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s (KHSC) Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) are being honoured with the team’s first ever Certificate of Commendation after jumping into action and helping to save an individual’s life right outside of their John Counter Blvd office.

The certificate recognizes exceptional performance of CACC employees who go above and beyond the call of duty.

While serving as the CACC’s second supervisor on duty, Maria Constandinou was alerted to a person in medical distress in their parking lot. As the Ambulance Communications Officer (ACO) dispatched an ambulance to the scene, Constandinou drew on her experience as a volunteer firefighter in Kingston and Frontenac and went outside to help.

“From afar - I could see a person laying face down and not moving,” Constandinou recollected.

Immediately she jumped into action, requesting a defibrillator and beginning chest compressions.

“It is very rare for any of our ACO’s to provide hands-on care,” shared Chris Wicklam, director at CACC. “Our job is to take 911 calls by phone and dispatch ambulances. So, it's very rare that we respond outside our walls – but this was urgent, the individual needed to be resuscitated.”

Constandinou, who began her career as an ACO answering calls and dispatching ambulances 13 years ago, has since moved into a supervisor position where she has been for the last five years. She has walked countless callers through the same steps she herself took that day.

“Based on our training, I knew that I should continue chest compressions and checking the pulse until the ambulance arrived,” she said. “All of this happened within about five minutes.”

Thanks to their calm and decisive actions, they were able to help save a life.

“I’m really proud of how they stepped in and did what they did. They responded immediately to a person in distress,” said Wicklam.

“We’re not typically considered first responders, but there’s a move to recognize us as ‘first, first responders.’ – We’re often the very first people someone speaks with in an emergency. We’re a lifeline until the ambulance arrives, and that’s incredible.”

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