21st Anniversary of John’s Death

Remembering John on Sept 29th

Sept 29th, 2021 is the twenty-first anniversary of John’s death

In honour of this, we thought we’d share the very first public service announcement the JPMF produced, way back when!

The PSA was called “The Fairytale Ended – Make Your Workplace Safe for Everyone,” and it’s safety message is as pertinent as ever today.

Here is the link to the view the 30-second PSA on the JPMF You Tube Channel.

The woman doing the voiceover is our dear friend, Heather Cumming. Here is a great party pic of John and Heather:

I remember the day that photo was taken. In fact, I probably took the photo. We were on Robson Street, celebrating a Stanley Cup win of some sort. We had so much fun!

Here are a couple more photos of John that you may not have seen before:

 

This year’s anniversary is a special one because this is the year John would have retired…or could have retired, rather. He probably wouldn’t have, after only twenty-five years. He probably would have just kept on going…like the Energizer Bunny, which was the nickname his team had given him.

I remember, like it was yesterday, the day John graduated from recruit class. I remember exactly what I was wearing. I remember seeing the excitement on John’s face, when Chief Silverberg handed him his badge. It was a dream come true for John…the moment he’d worked eight years for.

But from where I was sitting in the audience, I couldn’t hear what the Chief said to John, in that moment he was handed his badge. It wasn’t until later, when I watched the video of the ceremony, that I heard what the Chief had quietly said to John:

“Stay safe.”

For four years, he was able to. And then, on Sept 29^th, 2000, his dream, career & life ended when he stepped through an unmarked false ceiling, because there was no safety railing in place.

John had done what he could to stay safe. He did what he was trained to do. Unfortunately, the building he was clearing hadn’t followed proper workplace safety protocol.

And that, of course, is why the John Petropoulos Memorial was started and continues to this day…raising public awareness about why and how to make workplaces, and the roads, safer for everyone, including first responders.

Although John’s policing career ended abruptly after only four years on the job, he packed an awful lot into that short time. He lived and breathed policing. He loved being a police officer. And he was very good at it.

Thank you for supporting the JPMF. Whether you are a newly on board or have been with us from the very beginning, we sincerely appreciate your support. We will never know the full impact our safety education efforts have on reducing workplace injuries, fatalities & illnesses.

But we do know this: doing something is better than nothing at all.

Thank you & take care,

Maryanne & the JPMF team

 

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.

 

Call FORE Volunteers!

Call FORE Golf Tourney Volunteers in Calgary – Aug 19th

Howdy!

August is shaping up to be a busy month for the JPMF! On Aug 19th, the Calgary Police Association is having their annual golf tournament. JPMF volunteers are needed to sell raffle & 50/50 tickets to golfers (proceeds go to the JPMF).

This year, the annual CPA golf tournament will be in memory of Sgt. Andrew Harnett of the Calgary Police Service. Andy was killed in the line of duty on Dec 31st, 2020. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to Andrew’s widow, family, friends & colleagues. 

Here are the details for the golf tourney:

Date: Thursday Aug 19th, 2021

Location: Heritage Pointe Golf Course (Calgary, AB)

Time: Volunteers are needed for the morning or afternoon round.

Contact: If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Harleigh at: harleighatkinson@gmail.com.

Thanks so much!

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.

 

 

YYC Casino Volunteers Needed Aug 7 & 8

Casino Volunteers Needed in Calgary for Aug 7th & 8th!

The casinos are open again…and the JPMF just heard word that our next casino is on Aug 7th & 8th. Yahoo!!

This means we need volunteers 🙂

The casino is, by far, our biggest fundraiser…so if you are able to help out, that would be very much appreciated!

Here are the deets:

Dates: Sat Aug 7th & Sun Aug 8th, 2021

There are 3 different shifts (same for both days):

#1) 11:00 am to 7:30 pm

#2) 6:30 pm to 3:30 am

#3) 11:00pm to 3:30 am

Location: Cash Casino Place (4040 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB)

No experience or special skills are needed.

If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail Maryanne (as soon as possible) at: maryanne@jpmf.ca for further info. Due to the quick turn-around time for this casino, we need our volunteers lined up by JULY 18th. 

Thank you!!

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.

 

 

Safety Sticker Fiver Fundraiser!

Safety Sticker Fiver Fundraiser!

“Safety is a common denominator across all aspects of life… It is not a matter for industry. It is a matter for humanity.”

– Doug Bourne

It’s Time to Raise a Few Funds! 

And what better way to do that than by selling an item that promotes an important safety message! And who doesn’t love a STICKER?!

Our first safety sticker out of the gate in our “Safety Sticker Fiver Fundraiser” Series is “Safety First; Fatalities Are Forever.” (Because they are…that’s why the JPMF exists in the first place).

The sticker is 3 inches x 3 inches. They are $5 each – or 5 for $20.

To order, please visit the JPMF store. 

What to DO with the safety sticker? 

Well, you can put them in a window…

On your laptop…

On an envelope (a super way to spread the safety message!)…

Or wherever you (and/or the kids in your life) decide a sticker needs to go (such as a bike or ski helmet!).

Your purchase supports the work of the JPMF and helps share important safety messages.

When it comes to making safety a top priority, we can never get enough reminders. Click To Tweet

Share your sticker pics with us!

If you purchase a sticker, please tag us on social media (FB, Twitter or Insta) of how you are using it (unless it is x-rated – difficult to imagine but definitely possible)!

Thank you 🙂

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.

Sean Bradley – Profile #2

Casket Campaign Profile #2: Sean Bradley 

Sean Bradley & Bernard the cat

“I miss Sean’s laugh. I miss his smile. Some days I find myself staring at his picture on the wall and remembering all the happy times together. Those days also bring intense waves of grief thinking about the moments he has missed since then.”

– Cheryl Shock, Sean’s widow

Sean Bradley was a truck driver.

That was the job he was hired to do. But that’s NOT the job he was doing when he died. 

“Sean was a truck driver; it was his passion. If there was a vehicle with a motor,” explains Sean’s widow, Cheryl, “he would want to drive it.” 

“Sean and I met in November 2009. Instantly, we were inseparable. I know it sounds cliché, but we were soulmates. Sean was my best friend; we spent all of our time together. If we weren’t talking on the phone or texting, we were working on our motorbikes, sleds, camping, or going for drives.”

– Cheryl Shock

“Friday June 6, 2014 was one month before our wedding,” says Cheryl. “The day started like any other. Sean had found a local quarry job only two months earlier and was off to work.”

Sean never came home again. Instead, it was two police officers who showed up at Cheryl's door to deliver the worst news of her life. Click To Tweet

“There had been no rock to haul that day,” Cheryl explains, “but instead of sending Sean home, the company he worked for had him helping a mechanic do repairs on the small bus that hauled workers up to the mine site.” 

It was while doing those repairs that Sean had died. He had been working underneath an unsecured vehicle when it rolled and crushed him. He was killed instantly.

Sean was born with cerebral palsy. It left him with a limp and very little use of his right hand. He could hold things but had very little feeling in that hand.

“Sean couldn’t “mechanic”; he wasn’t trained as a mechanic,” explains Cheryl. “Sean was a truck driver, and he had been hired to haul rock down from the quarry to be used for flood mitigation after the floods the summer before. He should not have been working on that bus.”

And so...instead of finishing wedding plans, Cheryl found herself planning Sean's funeral. Click To Tweet

In Canada, workers have three basic rights related to safety:

#1. The right to know what hazards are present in the workplace. 

#2. The right to participate in keeping your workplace healthy and safe. 

#3. The right to refuse work that you believe to be dangerous to yourself or your co-workers.

Since many jobs do have dangerous work, this means that training, controlling hazards and wearing PPE are imperative, so as to ensure that dangerous work can still be done…safely. 

Sean was not trained to do the work he was doing – repairing the bus – when he died, nor were the controls in place to prevent the bus from rolling. 

We cannot bring Sean back but we CAN learn from his tragic death.

As a worker, you can speak up if you are asked to do work you are not trained to do. And you can ask that proper controls are in place to make doing a job as safe as possible. 

As an employer, you do have a significant role to play - and a responsibility to do so - to ensure your workers get home safely at the end of every shift. Click To Tweet

“The plan is to make a beautiful community out there, where we take care of each other.”

– Steve Jacobs

About Sean Bradley…

Sean was raised in the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. He loved the mountains. He was an avid snowmobiler, ATV and motorcycle rider and camper. Sean was born with cerebral palsy, but he never let it slow him down. He was 47 when he passed away.

You can read a poignant article by Cheryl entitled, “A Funeral Instead of a Wedding,” on the Threads of Life website. 

Thank you for reading & stay safe. 

About the JPMF’s Casket Campaign

Since Const. John Petropoulos died on the job in 2000, more than 20,000 Canadians have died as the result of their work, either due to an injury or occupational illness. 

You can view the first 30-second “Casket” PSA here. 

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.

 

Today is Day of Mourning

April 28th is Day of Mourning to Remember Workers

Today – April 28th – is a day to remember the many workers who have died as a result of their job, either due to injury or occupational illness.

Sadly, due to the devastating impacts of the pandemic, this day is more important than ever to take a moment and reflect on the many workers who have lost their lives from COVID19.

Here is an excellent article about the human cost of COVID19.

The JPMF would also like to take a moment to thank the thousands of healthcare workers & professionals and other front-line workers, including first responders, who put their health & safety on the line, day in and day out. Click To Tweet

More than ever, proper workplace health & safety measures are imperative.

On this Day of Mourning, the JPMF would also like to send out a shout-out to Threads of Life; An Association for Workplace Tragedy Support. Threads of Life provides support to families who have been impacted by a workplace tragedy. Unfortunately, they are busier than ever.

Maryanne Pope, Director at Large with the JPMF (and John’s widow), is the Family Spokesperson for this year’s Steps for Life Calgary fundraising event, in support of Threads of Life’s programs and services.

You can view a short video (3 minutes) of Maryanne sharing why workplace safety matters to her – and why she supports Threads of Life.

As always, thank you for reading and please take care, stay safe & stay well.

About the JPMF

The JPMF was started shortly after the death of Calgary Police Constable John Petropoulos on Sept 29th, 2000. John was investigating a break and enter complaint when he stepped through a false ceiling, fell nine feet into the lunchroom below and died of a brain injury. There was no safety railing to warn him of the danger; the complaint turned out to be a false alarm.

John was 32.

The JPMF is a registered Canadian charity that raises public awareness about workplace safety issues and educates people about why & how to ensure their workplaces and the roads are safer for everyone, including emergency responders. For further information, please visit jpmf.ca.