When Mattaius Brueckl went into work at Victoria General Hospital one April morning, he thought it would be like any other day.
As a protection services officer with Island Health, BruecklB次元官网网址檚 job is to provide a safe environment for patients, faculty, visitors and staff. He often responds to calls about aggressive or volatile individuals, patient standby requests, theft investigations, suspicious persons, damage to property and first-aid, among other things.
However, on this day, the View Royal resident received a call from a dispatcher about a suspicious person trying to climb over a fence. With just that information, Brueckl and his partner attended the call and noticed the door to the emergency stairwell leading up to the roof was ajar.
When he stepped inside, he ran into a teenager who was attempting to get onto the roof.
B次元官网网址淗e was being very evasive with me and I was trying to explain, IB次元官网网址檓 not the police, IB次元官网网址檓 not trying to get you in trouble, weB次元官网网址檙e just trying to help,B次元官网网址� Brueckl said. B次元官网网址淭here was quite a significant risk in his thoughts and things that were going on in his life.B次元官网网址�
However Brueckl is in what he calls a B次元官网网址済reyB次元官网网址� area and doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the same authority as police officers to demand someone to come with him. Instead, Brueckl must engage in conversation, build a rapport with an individual and establish a level of trust.
After roughly half-an-hour to 45 minutes, Brueckl convinced the teenager to go to the emergency department with him without incident.
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Brueckl received an award of distinction for B次元官网网址渉is compassionate and empathetic handlingB次元官网网址� of the situation from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety during a ceremony in Vancouver. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until Brueckl found out he won the award that he also discovered the teenager was in medical distress at the time.
B次元官网网址淥ur protection services officers are required to respond to calls that require both courage and compassion, often in equal measure,B次元官网网址� said James Hanson, Island Health vice president operations and support services. B次元官网网址淢attaius, we are proud of your professionalism and your commitment to the safety of everyone we serve at Island Health.B次元官网网址�
Despite the accolades, Brueckl admits the situation was a pretty regular occurrence as one of 90 full-time protection services officers, who work in health-care facilities across the Island.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an honour to have been recognized, but at the same time, thereB次元官网网址檚 so many things that my colleagues do that equally could have been award-worthy,B次元官网网址� he said.
A protection services officer for the past five years, as well as a reserve constable with the Saanich Police Department and a member of Saanich Search and Rescue, Brueckl has responded to hundreds of calls ranging from a visitor needs help finding their car in the parking lot to being first on scene after someone has jumped off a parkade at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
Often Brueckl is put in situations where he must strike a balance between making sure nursing staff and patients are safe and building a relationship with someone in crisis.
B次元官网网址淥ur perception on the job of what it normal is quite skewed. IB次元官网网址檒l go into a situation where a person has produced a knife or theyB次元官网网址檝e assaulted a staff member and itB次元官网网址檚 just something we deal with calmly,B次元官网网址� Brueckl said. B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檒l go to work and I wonB次元官网网址檛 know whatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what I love about it.B次元官网网址�
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