Red Deer Emergency Services and RCMP kick off Sirens for Life campaign

As first responders, he said, they see firsthand the impact donating blood has by helping the critically injured and sick.

“It makes that personal connection, and the longer you are in the career, the more you see and the more you see the value in donating and being a part of the solution,” he said.

The campaign also marks a friendly competition between the RCMP and Emergency Services in Red Deer. Throughout this month, they’ll keep track of how many members from each side donate blood in hopes of coming out on top for a good cause.

Schaefer explained that in the last couple of years, the RCMP have been victorious, but this year they hope to gain the upper hand.

“I’m optimistic this year we can rally our staff, family, and friends to come donate on our behalf and beat the RCMP this year,” he said, adding they’ve averaged around 100 donations each year.

“Sirens for Life is a great campaign to get out and donate, but I think overall it’s important to get out to donate and support Canadian Blood Services.”

Red Deer RCMP Sgt. Robert Daisley gives blood during the Sirens for Life campaign on Thursday. (Image Credit: Supplied/Canadian Blood Services)

Sgt. Robert Daisley of the Red Deer RCMP said both personal and professional reasons motivate him to donate every year.

He explained that personally, we all have people in our lives who have been affected by illnesses such as cancer that require blood donations.

Meantime, they also see the impact while on duty.

“Whether it’s collisions or violent crimes, we can see that there’s definitely a need,” he said. “At the end of the day, this is all about making sure the people who need help get the help that they need.”

Daisley said this is his 39th donation at clinics across Canada and Australia. He said people who may be unsure about donating, he encourages everyone to give it a try, as he’s always had a pleasant experience.

“The staff are always friendly and nice. If you have any issues with being apprehensive about the needle, they are very good about reassuring you.”

Community development manager with Canadian Blood Services, Shamus Neeson, said the Sirens for Life campaign is a great way to start the year.

He said in the winter months, there are more hurdles for people to donate blood, such as frigid conditions, flu season, and floods.

“There are a lot of things against us to get people into the clinic, so when we have an event like this, it reenergizes people,” he said.

Neeson added, they are grateful for the support of the first responders, as the event is all about getting the community back into the habit of giving blood.

He said men can donate every 56 days; meanwhile, women can donate every 84 days. The time in between is greater for women because of their iron levels.

The number of lives that are saved because of the campaign every year, he said, is countless.

Furthermore, Canadian Blood Services will need to recruit one million new blood donors over the next five years to keep up with current hospital demands.

“When you look at the entire population of Canada, 50 per cent of Canadians at any given time are ineligible to donate blood. Out of the remaining 50 per cent, only one in 76 actually do. We’re talking less than two per cent of Canadians donating for the entire population of the country.”

To book an appointment, visit blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app or call 1-88-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

by Ian Gustafson

Red Deer Emergency Services and RCMP kick off Sirens for Life campaign

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