Terry Abrams receives Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General

By Elizabeth Oldfield, Communications and Marketing Portfolio Member (5×5@skipatrol.ca)

 

The Sovereign’s Medal For Volunteers is given by the Governor General in recognition of exceptional volunteerism of Canadians over a wide range of fields from across the country. It pays tribute to their extraordinary dedication and commitment. These exceptional volunteers embody the caring country we aspire to build.

Terry Abrams has been a member of the CSP for 43 years, has received numerous awards from the CSP and was recognized as Life Member No. 43 in 2000. In the late 1980s he modernized our training by leading the adoption of our current patient assessment protocols. He was also instrumental in bringing critical incident stress management (CISM) to the CSP. He continues to be an active member of the CSP with a dedication to training. He was the recipient of the Calgary Zone Outstanding Instructor Brian Honeywell Award in 2019.

In his professional career, Terry is now retired and has returned to Alberta Health Services on a couple of occasions in his capacity as an Advanced Care Paramedic.

The citation on the medal reads:

“For more than four decades, Terry Abrams has been keeping skiers safe on the slopes as a member of the Canadian Ski Patrol. By contributing first aid content to the ski patrol manual, as well as actively patrolling the hills, he has ensured new instructors are properly trained and that the patrol’s emergency protocols align with pre-hospital standards.”

Congratulations Terry on receiving such deserved recognition.