THUNDER BAY – Since 2009, the volunteers behind Operation Red Nose have worked tirelessly to keep festive seasons from being marred by tragic, avoidable collisions caused by impaired driving.
About to reach a full decade of operating in Thunder Bay, the goal is to have the service set a new record for getting people home at the end of the night.
Operation Red Nose, an annual designated driving initiative of St. John Ambulance, on Wednesday officially launched its 2018 program at Thunder Bay city hall.
Diana Sustawenko, the executive director of St. John Ambulance’s Northwestern Ontario branch, said they want to give 1,000 rides home this year.
“I think it’s a program that is very badly needed in the community. People are always looking for ways to get home over the holiday season,” Sustawenko said.
“People have become used to the service. We’re going into our 10th year this year and because of that, I think people wait for the service. They know it’s out there and they’re calling us.”
Last year, 878 safe rides were provided by Operation Red Nose volunteers. The reach of the program has grown significantly since its first year, when the number was less than 300. Rides are provided free of charge, though donations are welcomed.
Sustawenko said the program is made possible only through its legion of volunteers, with 3,097 people teaming up to provide 5,791 rides through Operation Red Nose’s first nine years.
“I think it makes the volunteers feel very valued,” Sustawenko said. “They know they’re providing a good service out there to the community. They know it’s because of them that lives are being saved.”
Operation Red Nose is an initiative appreciated by local police agencies.
“It’s a program that is lined up in order to prevent the ultimate, terrible tragedy that could occur as a result of impaired driving,” Thunder Bay Police Service Traffic Sgt. Gordon Snyder said.
“We’ve seen people come through our RIDE programs that are using Operation Red Nose and there are obviously very many more using it that we don’t happen to encounter. There’s no doubt in my mind that out of the hundreds or thousands of people that they’ve served over the decade, that at least one of those would have resulted in something serious occurring, whether it be a serious collision or maybe even a loss of life.”
As has been the case in previous years, the OPP have teamed up with St. John Ambulance to provide free background checks for all new volunteers.
Snyder said while impaired driving is a problem throughout the year, having a service like Operation Red Nose operate during the holiday season makes a big difference.
“We do see a lot higher incidents of impaired driving because of the festive events that are occurring, the parties that are occurring, the office or employment parties that are happening,” Snyder said. “Because of that, it’s even more important that we have more services out there to be able to offer people a safe ride home. At the end of the day, there’s no excuse for drinking and driving.”
The program will begin operating this year on Nov. 30 and run every following Thursday, Friday and Saturday night beginning at 8 p.m. until Dec. 29.
Prospective volunteers can call St. John Ambulance at 345-1712 or they can go through the Operation Red Nose website.
