Debco Safety

My name is Debbie (Thomas) Chene. I can trace my career aspirations back to my early years in the suburbs of Toronto, where I grew up for most of my young life.  Hearing that ambulance go by, I wanted to be a part of helping sick people get better and respond in life’s most critical moments.  I wanted to be a Paramedic.

Sometimes life takes us on an entirely different path due to necessity and practicality. For me, that path took a grand detour and put that goal on the back burner.  Most of my career was spent in the administrative world working hard to learn new skills and be successful.  Years later, I found myself moving from downtown Toronto to downtown Calgary working as an Executive Assistant managing an office and administrative staff.  Throughout my extensive career, I was also fortunate to have opportunities to travel to countries like Russia and Ukraine as Logistics Coordinator for oil rig crews working in Siberian base camps. These positions and experiences offered me many advantages and opportunities to connect with some very inspiring and amazing people along the way.

During my career transition from the oil & gas industry, a tragic and unexpected event in my family, lit a fire under that old dream to become a Paramedic.  I decided to take a leap, try something completely different and pursue the goal that seemed so long lost.  There it began, full-time classroom days with around the clock studies and a new life challenge. “Good-bye high heels….hello steel-toe shoes!”.

Empowered by my classmates, my instructors, and my own personal motivation, I am now a registered Primary Care Paramedic.  Thanks to the support of my family, my friends, and my extremely bright study buddy Devan, who as fate would have it, sat next to me on our first day in medic school, helped me get through studying around the clock and endless flash cards! At the end of the day, I believe we helped each other forge through those years.  Today, Devan is an Advanced Care Paramedic and I could not be more proud of her!

I am currently employed as a casual Primary Care Paramedic for Aaron Paramedical Services in Calgary and am the owner and trainer of Debco Safety teaching corporations First Aid and CPR.