Paramedics do more than respond to emergencies and transfer patients between hospitals, Humboldt and District Ambulance supervisor Derek Dagenais says.

The group posted a video on their Facebook page for Paramedic Services Week to give people a peek behind the scenes.

“They don’t actually realize how well-trained paramedics are in emergency medicine, and the type of care, medications, procedures they actually deliver in the pre-hospital environment.”

For example, paramedics deploy out of the emergency department at Humboldt District Hospital for a few hours each night between the day and night shift.

“It tends to be a busier time for the ED. So we work at our full scope of practice in there and our paramedics, if they’re not on call, they’re in the department assisting the physicians and nurses at that time,” Dagenais said.

Humboldt paramedics have started delivering intravenous antibiotics at home to patients who don’t require or aren’t a good candidate for hospitalization.

They also contribute to public safety and awareness campaigns.

EMS week 2