Scott LeFresne and his daughter Abbigael (Abbi) LeFresne not only share a special bond as father and daughter – they also share the same job title. Both are primary care paramedics (PCPs) out of Station 856 Dawson Creek. Scott is currently going into his 27th year with BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) – and Abbi is in her first year as a full-time PCP.
Abbi grew up around fire trucks and ambulances, with Scott also working as Deputy Fire Chief in Pouce Coupe. She joined BCEHS in May 2022, just five days after completing the class portion of PCP school. She went to new employee orientation and received her PCP license in January 2023. Now, Abbi works at Station 856 as a full-time paramedic and helps her father in his job as a PCP instructor when she can.
“From a young age I was surrounded by people in healthcare,” Abbi says. “I have always been drawn towards it and always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field in some way. I chose to become a paramedic after spending time around my dad and his coworkers and hearing stories of how they truly made a difference in people’s lives, and the family that they made with their co-workers.”
Not only is Sunday, June 18 Father’s Day, but it’s also Abbi’s 21st birthday. To celebrate, she suggested to Scott that they all travel to Mackenzie, a three-hour drive from Dawson Creek, to spend time with her grandfather, a recent widower. Abbi credits her father for being both an inspiring paramedic and father who also taught her the value of family.
“My dad is the reason I became a paramedic,” she says. “He has been a paramedic for over 27 years now and the passion he has for the profession is astounding.”
Scott is currently on leave after suffering a shoulder injury on Abbi’s last day of new employee orientation.
“Coming into the station as a 19 year old was one thing, but coming into a station where my dad has worked for 15 plus years and being known as ‘Scott’s daughter’ was another,” Abbi says. “I sure had some big shoes to fill.”
But both Scott and Abbi agree that the timing wasn’t all bad.
“I think that my dad being off work was a blessing in disguise,” Abbi says. “It allowed me to come in, make my own path, truly become my own paramedic, and make my dad proud. I cannot wait for the day he’s back at work and I can learn from him and hopefully become even half the paramedic he is.”
The admiration Scott feels for his daughter is mutual.
“It’s bittersweet being off right now,” Scott says, “but the silver lining is I can sit back and watch her grow in the profession. She’s got her own future – I get to watch it with a beaming smile and a super wide chest, knowing that’s my daughter. A year into her job, I go into the station and I’m now known as ‘Abbi’s Dad’. I’m extremely proud of her. She’s an amazing young woman.”
