02/28/2023
Professional Biography – Version 1
Edward Landriault
As a 35-year veteran of the Province of Ontario Emergency Medical Services, Ed Landriault has witnessed more trauma than most people see in a lifetime. In the realm of intentional or accidental harm, there isn’t much that he hasn’t experienced. And yet, he maintains both a sense of humor and an optimistic outlook. “When you consider all the systems of the human body that can malfunction, or all of the ways a body can be injured, you might assume that we are fragile creatures. But people have surprised me many times. We are a truly resilient species.”
Ed has dedicated his career to serving others, first as a primary care paramedic for 24 years, then as the Regional Training Coordinator for the Province of Ontario. His extensive experience includes training EMS instructors, coordination of the paramedic program for CTS College in Sault Ste. Marie, and design, development, and implementation of the First Nation Emergency First Response Program in the northeast region of Ontario. He conducts training for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario as well as the Province of Ontario. Ed continues to teach and train within First Nation communities and city police and fire services. He is certified to train all levels of first responders, up to and including Primary Care Paramedic.
In recognition of his outstanding service, Ed was awarded the Governor Generals EMS Exemplary Service Award in 2016.
Recently retired from public service, Ed has established TEBAKS EMERGENCY TRAINING, INC., making his decades of knowledge available to private citizens. He offers training sessions in First Aid, CPR, Emergency First Response, and Emergency Medical Responder to both small and large groups. Training sessions are conducted at a place of business or a residence, depending upon the focus of the training and the needs of the group.
But Ed doesn’t believe that simply watching a video or taking notes while he demonstrates will prepare the average person to act during an emergency. Instead, trainees become active participants in realistic emergency scenarios. “Participants alternate playing the roles of victim and care provider so they experience how it feels to be on either side of the interaction. My daughter, a self-taught makeup artist, attends some of the advanced sessions and creates incredibly realistic simulations of wounds, or rashes, or burns – whatever the specific scenario demands. Most people get a kick out of it, but they soon realize this is serious business. It makes an emotional impact on them, and it’s that ‘muscle memory’ that takes over in an actual emergency. There’s a familiarity with the situation that gives them the confidence to act. And that action could be the difference between life and death.”
Understanding emergency procedures is a good idea for everyone, but it becomes critical in remote or rural areas. “Some of our First Nation communities are more than an hour away from EMS services. Training volunteers from those locations is vitally important, and that’s a primary reason why I continue to work within those communities even after retirement.” As Regional Training Coordinator, Ed routinely drove 100,00km each year to cover that large geographical area. “Let’s just say that my wife and four kids see a lot more of me now!”
