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The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 2, 2006 - 7 Getting to know each other with ESINC By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Halton's emergency workers may have created their latest diversity initiative to help newcomers to the area but in practice have gleaned a wealth of information from their students. This two-way flow of knowledge comes as music to the ears of those behind the Emergency Services Information to New Canadians (ESINC) program, taught at local Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) to explain the role of emergency personnel. The program -- a first in Canada -- also teaches new Canadians how to access services through 911 in an emergency or through non-emergency channels. Police Chief Ean Algar characterized ESINC as a "proactive and inclusive" way of interacting with diverse communities, considering the rapidly changing face of the public in Halton. "This is an important venture," he said. Sgt. Peter Payne said by having police officers, firefighters and paramedics listen as well as teach, the ESINC program is better and attracting interest from other jurisdictions. "It's growing and we're excited about that," he said, delighted to be on the ground floor of such a fulfilling effort. "This could go Canadawide and even across North America." Although classes have already been held, the program was officially launched Tuesday during a standing-room-only open house at regional headquarters attended by scores of ESINC graduates, some bearing small Canadian flags and all eager to mingle with a range of emergency personnel and see their vehicles up close. GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER IN DRIVER'S SEAT: Hung Suk Song ,left, who came from South Korea six months ago, and friend Jila Mowlaei who moved here from Iran three years ago, check out a police cruiser. One of the grads on hand was Cindy Jiang, who came to Canada from China three months ago. She also smiles when she says that the EMS workers are all "pretty nice." "I think it's a good program for newcomers," said Jiang, who recommends ESINC. Jiang's LINC teacher Yvonne Hiney concurred wholeheartedly: "We've needed a program like this for a long time." In addition to Halton police, ESINC is a joint effort of Halton Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the fire departments of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, as well as the Halton Multicultural Council (HMC) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It is a made-in-Halton program whereby members of police, fire and EMS attend English as a Second Language classes and conduct a presentation on who they are, how they operate, what to expect and how to reach them (including a 911 overview). A hand-out is distributed containing crime, fire and accident prevention tips. As of May 30, 16 ESINC classes have been delivered and 25 to 30 classes will be delivered annually. During Tuesday's event it was clear ESINC is a successful part of the effort by emergency services in Halton to make the region a leader in welcoming new Canadians to the community. After all, the day-to-day reality in Halton is that all emergency services are dealing with a changing community and new Canadians don't always know what to expect when police, fire or an ambulance show up at their door. In other countries, emergency services operate differently. Some new Canadians have lived where police organizations in particular have been perceived to be corrupt or oppressive. That's why the learning on both sides is so important. According to Halton Regional Police Diversity Officer Nishan Duraiappah, what everyone has learned so far has proven to be enlightening and may actually save lives. He explained how in some countries the public must pay ambulance attendants or police. As a result, they may let a loved one suffer ­ or perhaps even die. And the more information emergency personnel have about perceptions and misunderstandings, the better equipped they are when responding to an emergency. "We are also educated in return by knowing what their needs and concerns are," said Chief Algar. "It goes both ways." Halton EMS Director Jim King explained the learning curve for newcomers ranges from 911 use and CPR to the need for child car seats and water safety. He encouraged the use of "patient vials" containing vital information about special medical needs of homeowners. According to HMC President Laila Eiriksson, ESINC also has a ripple effect: each student represents others in their household, so they take home what they learn to their families. The positive message about emergency services is therefore spreading across Halton, to all age groups, she said. R EDEFINING YOUR EXPECTATIONS Golf It's more than you expected. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT SAYS PRIVATE CLUB, EXCEPT IT'S PUBLIC. 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