Member Update – Loss of Member

July 5, 2021
Provincial News

Dear Members,

Re:  Loss of Member

Today we write this member update with heavy hearts as we regret to inform you that paramedic Gene Benoit has died. Gene was a lover of medicine, bicycles, craft beer, deep conversations and walked through life with a huge heart.

The loss of a colleague will impact all of us in different ways. It’s during these times that we need to be there for each other and put our wellness before anything else. Lean on your loved ones, colleagues and the resources that are in place for you.

Loss, change, and control are three of the major psychological components of grief. When somebody dies, we naturally focus on ‘who’ died. But with any death comes the loss of so many other things. 

It’s normal to be impacted by such a loss, especially when our coping has been so greatly tested over the past year and a half, not only as paramedics and dispatchers but in our personal lives as well.

There is no right way to grieve and no ‘quick fix,’ but there are ways that you can help yourself.

Strategies to support yourself during grief:

  • Establish a simple routine
  • Sharing your thoughts, reactions, and emotions with a safe person
  • Increase pleasant activities that you find joy in
  • Promote self-care activities like regular exercise, time with love ones, journaling, and check-ins with your mental health professional
  • Challenge unhelpful thinking; encourage identification of thoughts leading to feelings of guilt and anger

Resources: 

Peer CISM Team 1-855-969-4321 

  • To connect with a confidential peer team member or to obtain a referral to a trauma-informed mental health professional

Homewood 1-800-663-1142

  • To access a variety of resources through our Employee Family Assistance provider for you and your immediate family

Be gentle on yourself in the coming days and know you aren’t alone.

Sincerely,

Troy Clifford
Provincial President
On behalf of the Provincial Executive Committee
Ambulance Paramedics & Emergency Dispatchers of BC
CUPE Local 873

Click HERE to view a PDF version of this message 

TC/sb/MoveUp