Wearing of non recognized medals in EMS

[northernmedic]

I work in EMS in Ontario and figured this would be a great place to ask this question.  I've noticed a lot of Paramedic Chiefs and senior personnel in Ontario wearing unofficial, in-house 'long service' medals in conjunction with medals recognized by the Crown like Exemplary Service medals, Diamond Jubilee medals etc.  This would seem to violate the rules governing 'wearing of insignia' as set out by the Canadian Honours System.  This seems to be a practice specific to EMS and was wondering if anyone has seen this practice anywhere else?  Would this be something that is frowned upon in Military circles?   

Toronto Paramedic Chief

Halton Paramedic Chief

Cochrane Paramedic Chief

 

[Remius]

The rules are laid out here.

http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?lan=eng&id=14980

So yes.  What they are doing is likely wrong unless that medal is official, I don't know.

Note the guy at the bottom who seems to have his mounted for easy removal in case he gets called on it... ;D

 

[mariomike]

I'm only familiar with Toronto. Toronto police officers, firefighters and paramedics wear federal, provincial and city medals with their departmental dress uniform.

Our department had the Never saved a life medal. My Daddy is a Chief medal. I know someone at Headquarters medal. I cook a good pot of Ragu medal. Eight to Four medal. ( HQ staff only. ) My face was in the newspaper medal. I believe our own press medal. etc.

^ Just kidding! ^

Seriously though, in a city with thousands of police officers, firefighters and paramedics, all you really cared about at a scene was how long they had been on the job.

You could tell that with a quick glance to their lower left sleeve and counting the number of Years of Service insignia.
One for every five years of completed service with the city. 

Unlike Toronto, the City of New York awards many medals to their police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Not aware of any complaints from the US military.

NYPD Medal Day
https://www.google.com/search?q=nypd+medal+day&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjahKD2h43bAhVFlVkKHfUpCbYQ_AUICygC&biw=1280&bih=603

FDNY ( firefighter and paramedic ) Medal Day
https://www.google.com/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&biw=1280&bih=603&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=yJ_9WvOTK8Sb5wKxtLNI&q=fdny+medal+day&oq=fdny+medal+day&gs_l=img.12..0j0i24k1l9.89717.92992.0.95000.8.8.0.0.0.0.271.1445.1j4j3.8.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.4.898...0i8i30k1j0i8i10i30k1j0i8i7i30k1.0.5lXsYpJSP4E

Note the guy at the bottom who seems to have his mounted for easy removal in case he gets called on it... ;D

My guess is it had just been pinned on him.

 

[Blackadder1916]

What are the gongs (official and non-official?) worn by those in the OP pics?

 

[mariomike]

What are the gongs (official and non-official?) worn by those in the OP pics?

Only familiar with the Toronto pic.

One is the federal 20-year Exemplary Service Medal. Another is the City of Toronto Paramedic 12-year medal.
You get a bar added ( to each ) every ten years.

Don't know what the other medal is.

 

[Inspir]

Don't know what the other medal is.

Diamond Jubilee Medal

 

[northernmedic]

I'm only familiar with Toronto. Toronto police officers, firefighters and paramedics wear federal, provincial and city medals with their departmental dress uniform.

Our department had the Never saved a life medal. My Daddy is a Chief medal. I know someone at Headquarters medal. I cook a good pot of Ragu medal. Eight to Four medal. ( HQ staff only. ) My face was in the newspaper medal. I believe our own press medal. etc.

^ Just kidding! ^

Seriously though, in a city with thousands of police officers, firefighters and paramedics, all you really cared about at a scene was how long they had been on the job.

You could tell that with a quick glance to their lower left sleeve and counting the number of Years of Service insignia.
One for every five years of completed service with the city. 

Unlike Toronto, the City of New York awards many medals to their police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Not aware of any complaints from the US military.

NYPD Medal Day
https://www.google.com/search?q=nypd+medal+day&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjahKD2h43bAhVFlVkKHfUpCbYQ_AUICygC&biw=1280&bih=603

FDNY ( firefighter and paramedic ) Medal Day
https://www.google.com/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&biw=1280&bih=603&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=yJ_9WvOTK8Sb5wKxtLNI&q=fdny+medal+day&oq=fdny+medal+day&gs_l=img.12..0j0i24k1l9.89717.92992.0.95000.8.8.0.0.0.0.271.1445.1j4j3.8.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.4.898...0i8i30k1j0i8i10i30k1j0i8i7i30k1.0.5lXsYpJSP4E

My guess is it had just been pinned on him.

and it was common for those in your department to wear these departmental medals with other Crown medals?

 

[northernmedic]

Calgary Police: "Crazy About Imaginary Medals"
http://wearingyourmedalswrong.blogspot.ca/2016/05/calgary-crazy-about-imaginary-medals.html

Good read, I assumed with EMS it was merely ignorance of the rules, but if Police and Fire are doing it too, I guess its more of an accepted practice than I thought.  I'm not trying to complain like your insinuating, I'm just wondering if I should wear mine in conjunction with my other recognized medals.  I don't think I will. 

 

[CBH99]

Listen damnit...

I wanna look pretty badass, okay?  I want to have some ribbons on my chest, so when people look at me, they BOW DOWN to the all experienced, all wise, "been there, done that" badass that graces them with my presence.

Wearing recognized medals?  Wearing medals properly?  Wearing only medals that are authorized?  Pfffttttt, do you have ANY IDEA how much that's going to affect my rep?  How am I supposed to pick up b**tches when I look average & normal?  :facepalm:


Nobody even seems to look in detail at what ribbons/medals are being worn.  You see some medals on a chest, and ya think "Ah, okay, that guy has been around a bit."  Who cares about the details like legality, or the fact that I was awarded one simply for doing my job?  Or that I've been breathing on this planet for X number of years?

All this talk about being professional, adhering to the rules, wearing medals that are authorized, and wearing them properly?  Pffftttt.  Nonsense I tell you, sheer bloody nonsense.  Don't even get me started on only wearing medals that I EARNED, because that would just push me over the edge.

 

[mariomike]

Other than the nine to fivers at HQ, nobody cared about medals. I don't recall them ever being discussed in a crew station.

Got my 20-year federal one with a 30-year Bar in 2005. By then, I had been full-time permanent on the same dept. since 1972.

Came in a nice box. Looks nice in my desk drawer.

 

[Inspir]

Pretty much our HQ staff when they show up for public events and ceremonies

 

[mike63]

Pretty much our HQ staff when they show up for public events and ceremonies

WOW...must really suck when they take that to the dry cleaners eh!

 

[expwor]

I'm only familiar with Toronto. Toronto police officers, firefighters and paramedics wear federal, provincial and city medals with their departmental dress uniform.

Our department had the Never saved a life medal. My Daddy is a Chief medal. I know someone at Headquarters medal. I cook a good pot of Ragu medal. Eight to Four medal. ( HQ staff only. ) My face was in the newspaper medal. I believe our own press medal. etc.

^ Just kidding! ^

U.S Army seems to have medals to acknowledge that sort of service

And yes, just kidding too  ;D

Tom

 

[brihard]

Just so it’s understood, adhering to the directions given by Rideau Hall on the wearing of medals and decorations is a matter of convention and respect for the Crown as the font of honour, through the viceregal. There’s no enforceable law or regulation (outside of oefanizationalndress regulations) that binds people to comply with same, and there are plenty of emergency service organizations that are completely OK with people combining municipal or provincial  honours and awards along side awards from the Canadian honours system. Obviously that is frowned upon by the chancellor of honours, but it’s not in and of itself breaking any rule that’s actually an enforceable rule.

Interestingly some provincial honours and awards have been incorporated into the Canadian honours system. But most have not.

 

[blacktriangle]

Our department had the Never saved a life medal. My Daddy is a Chief medal. I know someone at Headquarters medal. I cook a good pot of Ragu medal. Eight to Four medal. ( HQ staff only. ) My face was in the newspaper medal. I believe our own press medal. etc.

We have them too. They are called Jubilee medals.

*pops smoke*

 

[mariomike]

Would this be something that is frowned upon in Military circles?   

Toronto Paramedic Chief

Obviously that is frowned upon by the chancellor of honours, but it’s not in and of itself breaking any rule that’s actually an enforceable rule.

New York City avoids the frowns by restricting their police officers, firefighters and paramedics to wearing ONLY departmental medals, ribbons, citations etc. awarded by the city on their departmental uniforms.

ie: Non-departmental medals, ribbons etc. from other agencies are not worn on departmental uniforms.

Toronto has not adopted that policy, yet.

Top image is of the medals awarded each and every year to NYC firefighters and paramedics. ( Firefighters and paramedics belong to the same department. FDNY )

Bottom image is of the medals awarded each and every year to NYPD officers.

 

[Blackadder1916]

New York City avoids the frowns by restricting their police officers, firefighters and paramedics to wearing ONLY departmental medals, ribbons, citations etc. awarded by the city on their departmental uniforms.

There wouldn't be a lot of frowns from an American version of the Chancellery of Honours because there isn't one.  While "we" view the US President (like all foreign heads of state) as the fount of honour for their particular country's orders, decorations and medals, the traditional American view of honours is quite different from our centralized "British tradition".  Must be due to that revolution stuff when they told the British to fuck off.  Though many of the decorations, medals, ribbons and other devices that are available to members of the US military and naval services have been implemented by executive order of the President or by public law passed in Congress (and signed by the President), a significant number of medals and commendations are instituted by individual Secretaries of departments.  Often, the legislative basis of US government departments and some agencies provides the ability for the heads of those organs to establish awards, especially if those departments/agencies have some form of uniformed service.  But a uniform is not necessary for US government employees in any number of agencies to receive medals specific to their organizations like the US Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or Customs and Border Patrol, or NASA, or CIA or FBI or . . . many more.

Even within the Department of Defence, regulations about the wear of awards is not consistent across all services, with some service specific awards not allowed to be worn by a different service.  And for those in National Guard service they are permitted to wear state awards but only when they are in that state's service.

Using NYC government departments as an example to illustrate a point about mixing Canadian official and non-official awards on municipal uniforms would be like using Boy Scout merit badges as the example.

 

[mariomike]

Would this be something that is frowned upon in Military circles?

Toronto Paramedic Chief

Can't speak for the Chief, but I imagine if I made $227,895.05 ( Sunshine List ) last year, I'd be crying all the way to the bank. 

I assumed with EMS it was merely ignorance of the rules, but if Police and Fire are doing it too, I guess its more of an accepted practice than I thought. 

I haven't worn the uniform in nine years. But, I believe NYC has the right idea,

City ribbons only  on city police, fire and paramedic uniforms.

 

[Blackwatch09]

I don't really see anything wrong with wearing a medal that was awarded for years of service. Yeah it's just a "time served" medal, but that doesn't mean it wasn't earned by the wearer. Just because it wasn't awarded for Military Valor doesn't make it any less important. Don't get me wrong, Military service is of the highest honor, but why are Police/Fire/EMS shamed for being proud of their achievements?

So I have a question that's probably going to set off the lot of you lol;

I recently received a medal for my "service" in the Army Cadets. The description of the medal states "The
Army Cadet Service Medal will be worn at the extreme left of all decorations and medals of the Cadet system, all in accordance with existing dress regulations of the Canadian Cadet Organization and, if/where permitted, of the Canadian Honours System." -https://www.armycadethistory.com/Trophies/medals_Longservicemedal.htm

Do I think it's geeky to wear an Army Cadet medal as an adult? Absolutely lol but I'm really proud that I have a medal and I would love to show that pride and wear it on my uniform, but I don't want to offend anyone (specifically Military personnel who have bled for theirs).

What do you think?

 

[garb811]

Which uniform? If it is a EMS uniform, best to talk to your organization and find out what they think and if they have approved it for wear... My guess is it will be a "no" but you won't know until you ask.