Heroes revealed.
Ottawa Paramedic Service
Ottawa Paramedic Service Chief Anthony Di Monte has released the identities
of his paramedics who helped Constable Eric Czapnik in his final hour.
On Dec. 29, Const. Czapnik was killed in the line of duty at the
Civic Campus of the Ottawa
Hospital. Paramedics
already at the scene immediately tried to save Czapnik while others helped
restrain his attacker.
“This has been a very difficult loss for the entire community. On a daily
basis, the city’s emergency services work together to ensure the safety and
protection of all of our citizens. That makes this loss especially difficult
for Ottawa’s
first responders,” Di Monte said.
The paramedics involved cannot provide comment on the events of Dec. 29
to ensure the integrity of the current legal proceedings related to this
case, Di Monte said in a press statement.
In order to ensure the integrity of this case but still provide information,
the paramedic service has released the names, photos, and short biographies of
the four paramedics, the chief said.
The four members of the Ottawa Paramedic Service were present at the scene
and provided assistance and support to Const. Czapnik are Craig MacInnes,
Patricia St. Denis, Amanda Walkowiak, and Virginia Warner.
“They represent the very best of our profession and I am proud of their
courage and professionalism during such a dangerous and traumatic incident,” Di
Monte said.
Craig MacInnes, Advanced Care Paramedic
MacInnes has spent 22 years in the
field of paramedicine in both clinical and management roles. The 41-year-old
MacInnes graduated from the Advanced Care Paramedic program at Holland College
in Prince Edward Island.
He also holds a diploma in Emergency Health Services from Dalhousie University.
Patricia St. Denis, Primary Care Paramedic
St. Denis has been a paramedic for
two years and with the Ottawa Paramedic Service since early 2009. The
24-year-old trained at St-Lawrence College in Cornwall
where she obtained her diploma in Paramedicine.
Amanda Walkowiak, Primary Care Paramedic
Walkowiak joined the Ottawa
Paramedic Service in 2005. The 26-year-old Walkowiak took her paramedic
training at Algonquin College in Ottawa,
receiving her diploma in Paramedicine in 2006.
Virginia Warner, Advanced Care Paramedic
Warner has been a paramedic for five
years, graduating from Toronto’s Humber College
in 2005 as a Primary Care Paramedic. The 29-year-old Warner has recently
obtained her certification as an Advanced Care Paramedic. She also holds a
Bachelor of Sciences’ degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario.