ROTARIANS RECOGNIZE COP, FIREFIGHTER, PARAMEDIC WHO HAVE YOUR BACK
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — “Dan Kean is the cop you hope you get when you call 911.”
So says his boss, Insp. Jason Nickle.
Pretty high praise for a constable who’s only been on the job a few months.
Kean is no rookie, however, having joined the OPP from the Toronto police service where he also served with great distinction.
Thursday he was recognized, along with two members the Gravenhurst Fire Service and Muskoka Paramedic Service, as part of the Rotary Club’s biannual first responders recognition day.
Kean was first praised for — as Rotarians like to say going beyond the call of duty — when he lay in wait inside a home at the north end of the main street for a suspect accused in a grandparent scam in Gravenhurst this spring.
Nickle said forget CSI — it’s AI you need to worry about with voice recognition that can imitate the sound of anyone.
When a grandfather withdrew $7,150 and held it for caller claiming to be his grandson in trouble, he got suspicious and called 911.
Kean, too, thought the pickup was odd, so he quickly assembled the Muskoka Crime Unit and waited with grandpa.
Together they caught the collection agent at the door red-handed and he was charged.
But that wasn’t Kean’s first rodeo response.
Back when he was policing in Toronto he “saved a person’s life” by tearing up a bed sheet to use as bandages and a tourniquet to stem bleeding in a first response call.
At the Rotary meeting Kean was honoured with a St. John life-saving award for his actions.
The award was a fill-in after he missed the Toronto presentation a couple of weeks ago when his wife, Victoria, was about to give birth to their son, Walter — both of whom were present two days ago for a wonderful Father’s Day gifts. Mom works as a fraud analyst at the OPP’s headquarters in Orillia and offered help on the call.
Rotarian Bryan Graham presented Kean, Jackie McFarlane and Mike Sanders each a $100 donation to their charity of choice, as well as a first responders “Challenge Coin” with Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self” on it.
Jackie McFarlane, GFD
Fire Chief Jared Cayley recognized 17-year administrative assistant Jackie McFarlane as the “heartbeat” of the service, as well as “gatekeeper” for payroll and benefit packages.
He added “she also keeps the chief in line re: budgets.”
In addition McFarlane looks after firefighters by preparing and providing food at all hours, maintaining high morale and arranging Christmas gifts for the children of firefighters.
In an often high stress job McFarlane makes herself available one night a week to talk with firefighters about any concerns personal or professional. And is a big part of “take your partner to work” day, recognizing the sacrifices the family of first responders make. Cayley said she works “with rather than for” GFD.
Her $100 donation was given to Gravenhurst Against Poverty.
Mike Sanders, MPS
Muskoka Paramedic Deputy Chief Stuart McKinnon recognized paramedic Mike Sanders, another administrative staff member, who also acts a community relations officer and in charge of education and awareness such as at schools.
He also oversees CPR and awareness courses to nurses and doctors even.
A new employee for just a year, he donated his $100 to Save Our Scruff, a dog-rescue program.
June is seniors fraud awareness month
After a number fraud cases, like the one Kean averted, this month the OPP are raising awareness about frauds that target Ontario seniors who have spent their entire life saving funds for their golden years.
Last year the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received fraud reports totalling a staggering $531 million in victim losses. A devastating $138 million (26%) in losses were reported by senior victims. According to the CAFC, seniors lose on average 33% more than other demographics. It is estimated that only 5-10% of victims report scams and frauds to the CAFC or law enforcement.
According to the CAFC, in 2022, the top frauds affecting seniors were:
Investment frauds represented $79.1 million in reported losses in 2022. Ontario victims reported losing over $36.5 million.
Romance frauds represented $19.5 million in reported losses in 2022. Ontario victims reported losing over $8.8 million.
Service scams represented $8.5 million in reported losses in 2022. Ontario victims reported losing over $6 million.
Extortion frauds represented $7.7 million in reported losses in 2022. Ontario victims reported losing over $542,000.
Emergency-Grandparent scams represented $7.1 million in reported losses in 2022. Ontario victims reported losing over $4.3 million.
The OPP encourages the public to visit the CAFC website to learn more about the frauds mentioned above www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
Remember…if you fall victim to a fraud or know someone who has, contact your local police service to report the crime and report it to the CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS), even if a financial loss did not occur.
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