In 2010, when Melissa Soule took a co-op job placement as an administrative assistant with the Barrie Fire and Emergency Services, she had no idea her career would come full circle more than a decade later.
She couldn’t be happier with the way things have worked out.
“That experience left a lasting impression on me and sparked an interest in emergency services that would later shape my career,” she told MidlandToday, ahead of receiving the Support Staff for Public Safety Communications award at Thursday morning’s 15th annual Simcoe County Tri-service Public Safety Awards at the Simcoe County Administration Centre in Midhurst.
“Our 911 call takers and dispatchers are the unsung heroes who can quickly become the first voice of hope during someone’s darkest moment,” Simcoe County’s Deputy Warden Jennifer Coughlin told an audience of about 100 Thursday morning. “Every day they face the unimaginable, their calm voice becomes the lifeline that connects those in need with the help they urgently require.
“Whether guiding CPR, de-escalating fear or coordinating urgent resources, their words have the power to bring safety and reassurance back into the lives of callers,” she added.
A member of the emergency services team from Midland Fire Services, Soule tried her hand at a couple of other occupations before she found her calling in emergency services.
After completing the business administration program at Georgian College, she accepted a job with the City of Orillia, working in both the transit and human resources departments. Her experience in HR triggered another passion and led her to seek a role that would combine the best of both of those worlds.
“Wanting to combine my administrative and HR experience with a role that supports the community, I was drawn back to emergency services, an environment I had always remembered enjoying,” she said.
In 2024, she started her job as coordinator with the Midland Fire Services. She’s never looked back.
“It is a fast-paced and ever-changing environment where no two days are the same,” she said. “I truly enjoy the variety in my role and the opportunity to support the important work of our firefighters and leadership team as they help protect and serve the community.
“I also enjoy assisting in emergency management and continuing to learn about the impact this work has in supporting effective response and community safety,” she added.
Her efforts have earned nothing but praise from the town’s fire chief, Richard Renaud.
“Melissa’s contributions touch nearly every part of the organization,” Renaud told the audience Thursday morning. “She supports new staff during onboarding, ensures both career and volunteer members have the equipment and supplies they need, and provides critical assistance to leadership.
“From helping the fire chief with reports, response statistics, and budget monitoring, to supporting the deputy fire chief with payroll, scheduling, and training coordination, Melissa keeps the organization running smoothly,” Renaud added.
He said Soule plays a vital role in emergency preparedness, assisting with Emergency Operations Centre readiness, maintaining training records, coordinating logistics and arranging resources, and even meals, during critical activities.
“These may seem like small details, but in emergency services, details matter and Melissa handles them with exceptional accuracy and care,” Renaud said.
According to the award organizers, Soule was recognized because she “demonstrates sustained excellence over time, not just during isolated events.”
Today's event — that honours call-takers, dispatchers, supervisors and support staff — also recognized Denise Horn, a communicator with the Orillia Fire Department, who received the Communicator of the Year for Public Safety Communications Award and the Barrie fire communicators, who earned the Simcoe County Public Safety Communications Team Award for their efforts during a January 2025 blizzard that left more than 200 motorists stranded in Springwater Township.
Horn, a 30-year communications veteran, began her career in communications with the old City of Orillia police force before joining Orillia fire.
According to the award organizers, Horn “consistently shows prime decision-making abilities with complex situations and required next steps, often thinking ahead and asking the right questions.”.
During the height of the January blizzard, the Barrie Communications Centre suffered a computer-aided dispatch system outage that forced the comms team — Tracey Hyder, Ashlee Hebner, Benoit Osborne, Kirsten Heard, and Amanda Balch — to transition to a fully manual, paper-based operation. Despite these constraints, call-takers, dispatchers, and supervisors worked seamlessly together to manage a fast-moving, high-risk situation
“This response highlighted the team’s ability to collaborate, innovate, and maintain service continuity during system failures – ensuring public safety when conditions were at their worst,” the awards organizers said. “This incident exemplifies outstanding teamwork, creativity, and dedication in the face of operational adversity.”