In the town of Miami, where the population hovers around 500, the ringing sirens of emergency services echo a little louder these days, and fewer people are answering the call.
7 years is the average career length for an emergency medical services volunteer in the RM of Thompson. Michelle Mansell has been doing this for more than 25.
She leads the Miami Medical First Responders as President, a group that's always been tightly woven into the fabric of the community. But with just four active members left, she says the cracks are showing.
“We’re 100% volunteer,” she explains. “We’re not paid on call. We get zero dollars, but a lot of heartfelt appreciation.”
The group responds to fire calls, provides rehab support on scenes, checks in on firefighter safety, and steps in whenever someone in the area dials 911.

Training costs and time off
Mansell shared that not long ago, someone could get certified as an Emergency Medical Responder with just one night a week of training through the winter. Now, it’s a two-week intensive course in Winnipeg, plus additional weekends—much of it unpaid time off work for volunteers.
Add to that the cost of licensing—$500 to the College of Paramedics, $150 more to the Paramedic Association of Manitoba—and it starts to become clear why recruitment has been a struggle.
“We can’t expect somebody who is 100% volunteer to take a lot of time off their paid employment, and drive in and out of Winnipeg. So that has been a huge barrier in the last six or seven years.” Mansell says.
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A new hope
A new Advanced Firefighter First Aid course hopes to lighten the load. Mansell says that it’s not quite the same as the Emergency Medical Responder program, but it’s close enough to make a difference. The course is live.
She shared that though having potentially four to five new volunteers over the course of the next year is exciting, the sudden cost of making that a reality would be steep.
Outfitting just one new member with boots, turnout gear, helmet, radio, and the training itself can total close to $4,000. She estimates that the cost of bringing on five new recruits could reach $50,000.
“We haven’t had training, we haven’t had new turnout gear, we haven’t had to buy new boots, and now it’s all coming to a head right now because there’s only four of us left.”
According to Mansell, the department has aging members and little in the way of a succession plan. The burnout rate is high, not just from the workload but from the emotional weight. In small communities, emergency calls often mean showing up for someone you know.
“Every page is most likely a friend, a family, an acquaintance,” she said, “We would love the opportunity to once in a while turn our pagers off.”

Comfort in crisis
Mansell has been on calls for her own parents. She’s been the one to show up in those moments that blur the line between professional and personal. But for her, that’s the point.
“At minimum, we’re walking through the door, we’re a friendly face who can hold your hand until somebody comes, at the minimum, that’s amazing.”
The team can be a vital bridge, performing CPR, taking vitals, administering medications, sometimes up to an hour and a half before an ambulance can arrive.
The RM of Thompson is growing, with new streets, new families, and the same few people answering the pager. When those pagers are off, sometimes the phone rings instead—residents calling her directly, asking why help hasn’t arrived yet.
“So, we’re really trying to get the RM support,” she said, “They’re thinking about it... I really think the Council will be open to supporting more training. I really do think so, but I’m also a really good advocate, I don’t take ‘no’ for the first 3 or 4 times.”
If Mansell has anything to say about it, the Miami Medical First Responders will always be ready to keep showing up for the RM, and she eagerly awaits their decision.
- with photos provided by Miami Fire and Rescue Social Media -