For most people, going above and beyond means working overtime to complete an important project or help a neighbour out of a tough situation.

But for Dr. Nic Sparrow, going above and beyond means saving people乌鸦传媒檚 lives or drastically changing the recovery outcome of a severe injury or health crisis, and he is hoping more doctors and community members will join in the fight.

Sparrow is an emergency room doctor at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson, but he feels the duty of saving lives doesn乌鸦传媒檛 end when he leaves the hospital at the end of his shift.

Sparrow remains on call and often leaves the comforts of his home for some of the harshest realities of life 乌鸦传媒� the most severe 9-1-1 calls in the West Kootenay. He does this work as a volunteer 乌鸦传媒� giving his time and providing his own supplies and equipment.

The idea of doctors attending accident scenes, cardiac arrest calls and drug overdoses seems like a new approach here in Canada, but the practice is actually quite common in Europe and other parts of the world.

Sparrow first became familiar with the practice while working in the United Kingdom.

After moving to Canada, Sparrow started volunteering his time for this type of work in 2008 while working on the Sunshine Coast.

Sparrow is quick to emphasize that he does not do this work alone, that it is a team effort 乌鸦传媒� he is there to support the first responders, ambulance attendants, paramedics and fire department personnel.

乌鸦传媒淚 think they do an absolutely amazing job 乌鸦传媒� but there are some calls that a physician who is trained in pre-hospital response can assist with,乌鸦传媒� said Sparrow.

乌鸦传媒淭o support the emergency services, and secondly to help save lives and help the most critically ill or injured patients in the community 乌鸦传媒� that is my goal,乌鸦传媒� explained Sparrow who has attended 260 calls over the last four years.

Sparrow says its hard to calculate how many lives have been saved through the work.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not working in isolation, I乌鸦传媒檓 working always with the paramedics, with the firefighters 乌鸦传媒� so it is hard to equate to lives saved. But I have definitely, massively changed the outcome for a subset of critically ill patients,乌鸦传媒� he said.

This is partly because he is able to provide things like anti-seizure medications 乌鸦传媒� stopping patients from enduring long periods of seizures and advanced life support drugs and treatments to the scene of cardiac arrests.

乌鸦传媒淭here are certain things that I can provide that other providers at the moment in the pre-hospital environment cannot 乌鸦传媒� that乌鸦传媒檚 partly why I respond,乌鸦传媒� said Sparrow.

乌鸦传媒淭he paramedics on the ground and the firefighters 乌鸦传媒� they have to deal with some really tough stuff and work in the confines of what they are allowed to do 乌鸦传媒� when we have basic life support, there are only a limited number of things the province allows them to do.乌鸦传媒�

Before moving to Canada, Sparrow responded with the ambulance service of the UK as a first responder and also alongside ambulance services in South Africa.

乌鸦传媒淚 have seen the benefit of having physicians in rural areas respond,乌鸦传媒� he said.

乌鸦传媒淚 think it should be a national program. There should be volunteer pre-hospital trained physicians 乌鸦传媒� and maybe in the fullness of time it won乌鸦传媒檛 be volunteer 乌鸦传媒� across the province in rural areas assisting the ambulance service.乌鸦传媒�

Kootenay Emergency Response Physicians Association

Sparrow and others have formed a non-profit organization to help fund this work 乌鸦传媒� the Kootenay Emergency Response Physicians Association (KERPA).

He hopes other physicians will join him in the work but explained it may take a while before that could happen.

乌鸦传媒淭here is quite a lot of specialist training you require to translate your emergency skills into the pre-hospital setting,乌鸦传媒� explained Sparrow.

He also knows the idea is a tough sell.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 an unusual model because you are not being paid for your time, you are on call 24/7 unless you turn your phone off. It乌鸦传媒檚 not an overly attractive job concept.

乌鸦传媒淵ou have to be slightly weird in order to want to do it 乌鸦传媒� hopefully the Kootenays will attract some more weird people to join me,乌鸦传媒� added Sparrow.

KERPA has developed a wish list that includes a designated marked vehicle to take to the scene of calls. The vehicle could then be stocked with the necessary equipment and outfitted with lights and sirens.

Sparrow has been using a LifePak 12 defibrillator/monitor on loan from Interior Health and an upgrade to a LifePak 15 is also on the organization乌鸦传媒檚 list.

They would also like an automated chest compression device 乌鸦传媒� the LUCAS 3.

KERPA has already raised about $20,000 and has purchased a state-of-the-art hand-held ultrasound machine.

The above equipment will cost about $75,000 to $100,000 so KERPA is looking for a dealership or someone else to sponsor the vehicle and is accepting donations through its Facebook page.

乌鸦传媒淲e are just a volunteer organization, trying to help 乌鸦传媒� we have no political agenda,乌鸦传媒� added Sparrow. 乌鸦传媒淚 feel I have a duty to help these people and I am going to do it 乌鸦传媒� I乌鸦传媒檓 just going to do it.乌鸦传媒�

And that is where the conversation ended 乌鸦传媒� Sparrow乌鸦传媒檚 phone rang, and he was needed elsewhere.