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Search for answers follows medic’s suicide

A Canadian organization has started tracking the number of first responder deaths by suicide to determine if it’s part of a rising trend

EDMONTON, Canada — An Edmonton paramedic died by suicide this week, the 32nd such death in the past nine months among Canada’s emergency responders.

Was the paramedic’s death part of a rising trend? The statistics needed to investigate such a phenomenon are only being gathered now.

“There has been no research in Canada when it comes to emergency services suicide. It’s something we’re trying to track. We’ve started a suicide awareness campaign but it will take us a few years before we have any legitimate stats to look back on,” said Vince Savoia, president of the Tema Conter Memorial Trust, focused on post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders.

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