Hey Kids! Ever Wanted to Be a Paramedic? A London Pro Shows You How

London paramedic Samantha Dakin is on a mission to inspire the next generation of first responders by giving kids an inside look at her career. She appears in a new episode of TVOkids' Trading Skills, a show that introduces children to skilled trades and careers they might not know about.

Dakin, 28, started with Middlesex-London Paramedic Services in 2023. Besides responding to emergencies, she does community outreach. It was through this work that she was asked to be on the show, where she teaches host Akeylah James about the equipment and skills used on the job.

"I think it’s a good idea to get kids looking at not only first responder jobs, but paramedic jobs," Dakin says. "We’re always going to need them. There’s always going to be people that are getting hurt and we want people that are compassionate and caring and passionate about their job."

Dakin always wanted to work in medicine, but it took studying kinesiology at the University of Windsor and trying different jobs to realize she wanted to be a first responder. "I liked being first on the scene and helping as many people as I can," she explains. "Every day is different, and it’s a lot of medical knowledge, critical thinking and making choices. I figured this was the job for me."

Trading Skills first aired in 2024 to open doors to jobs kids might not consider. It returns for its second season Friday, featuring 13 new careers. "Recognizing the ongoing discussions about the skills gap in Ontario and beyond, we wanted to create a series that showcases the fantastic opportunities available in the skilled trades," says Kirsten Hurd, commissioning editor at TVOkids.

Dakin also hopes her episode helps kids overcome fear of first responders. "It’s also great for kids to be able to see the other side of paramedicine," she says. "If something does happen to them or their family, it’s not such a scary situation because they have now seen the back of the ambulance."