Off-duty firefighters recognized for helping save a woman’s life

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When Holm arrived, he found the woman standing on the bottom rung of the railing and leaning over it.

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“I did end up getting to the person, and I was able to establish a nice little relationship with her and ended up getting her off the railing,” he said. “Just as I had done that, the RCMP arrived on scene, and she was transferred into their care to receive medical attention.”

Holm received the Royal Canadian Humane Association (RCHA) Honorary Testimonial for his role in de-escalating the situation and ensuring the woman’s safety. Bright was also recognized for his quick thinking and ability to recognize signs of distress.

Holm said he believes Bright’s actions were especially deserving of recognition.

“With his quick thinking to call that in and being able to respond quite rapidly, I think it probably changed the outcome of that situation from being able to have a successful resolve to it versus being called out for a river rescue or a water rescue because of that person was successful in jumping off the bridge.”

Holm said firefighters are prepared to respond to a wide range of emergencies, but their training related to mental health situations is limited.

“I’ve dealt with issues like that over my career as an emergency medical technician and at times as a firefighter,” he said. “It’s not something that we typically have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, but any emergency, each one is a little bit different and we need to be prepared for anything that comes our way.”

Holm said he was surprised to learn he had been nominated for the award.

“It’s something that I appreciate, but it’s not something that I was expecting by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.

The City of North Battleford congratulated both firefighters, thanking them for their service and for going above and beyond their regular emergency duties.

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If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, available resources include:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566), Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (306-933-6200), Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit (306-764-1011), Regina Mobile Crisis Services (306-525-5333) or the Hope for Wellness Help Line, which provides culturally competent crisis intervention counselling support for Indigenous Peoples at (1-855-242-3310), BATC Youth 24-hour Helpline (306-310-3310).

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com