Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board
Last updated on April 3, 2024
The Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board (Board) is composed of 3 members, one of whom must be an emergency medical assistant selected in the prescribed manner and another of whom must be a medical practitioner, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The third member sits as the Board chair.
The Board is responsible for examining, registering and licensing all emergency medical assistants (EMAs) in B.C., including first responders.
Under the authority of the Emergency Health Services Act, the Board sets licence terms and conditions. In addition, the board investigates complaints and conducts hearings where necessary.
Board Members
Ryan Sinden, MBA, DipHSc, PCP, Chair
Ryan Sinden works in both the fire service and BCEHS. Ryan started his full-time firefighting career in 2006. Within the fire service Ryan has and continues to be involved in many different specialty teams including high angle and confined space rescue, urban search and rescue, trench rescue, vehicle extrication, and water/ice rescue. Ryan has also been active in the private sector developing and teaching courses and providing contract rescue services in industry.
Ryan’s career in paramedicine started in 2007 with BCEHS as a primary care paramedic. Working in the Okanagan, Whistler, and the Metro Vancouver area for the last number of years Ryan has enjoyed experiencing the variety in service delivery that comes with different areas. Ryan’s interest in training and education continued with his position as an instructor with the Justice Institute starting in 2008 where he teaches the PCP program.
In 2017, Ryan accepted a role with BCEHS Learning as a clinical educator. Ryan currently teaches the various continuing education courses offered to BCEHS paramedics. Continuing education is important to Ryan leading him to complete his diploma in EMS from the Justice Institute in 2015 and Honours Degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University in 2016.
Ryan was appointed to the board April 27, 2020, and was reappointed in December of 2023 until December 31, 2025.
Philip Yoon, MD, MBA, CCFP(EM), FCFP, Vice Chair
Dr. Yoon works as a staff emergency physician at the Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals and is a Clinical Professor within the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He moved to British Columbia in 2012 from Nova Scotia where he was a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University and the District Chief/Department Head of Emergency Medicine.
Prior to his move to the Maritimes in 2009, Dr. Yoon completed all of his medical training at the University of Alberta and was an academic emergency physician based at the University of Alberta Hospital for 13 years. He also served as the Associate Medical Director of Special Operations for Edmonton EMS. Throughout his medical career, Dr. Yoon has remained involved in emergency medicine/EMS operations, administration, education, and research. Additionally, he has maintained membership in the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) since 2006.
He is also a Navy Reserve Medical Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. Since February 2013, Phil has held the position of Medical Director of the EMS Physician Online Support (EPOS) service with the British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS).
Dr. Yoon was appointed to the Board November 8, 2012, and was reappointed in December of 2022 until December 31, 2024.
Grant Ross, Member
Grant Ross is a career paramedic, working for the British Columbia Ambulance service since 1987. Starting as a Primary Care Paramedic in the Vancouver post, he obtained his Advanced Care Paramedic certification in 2006 and then completed his Critical Care/Flight Paramedic training in 2014. He is currently working at the Vancouver Airevac station. Throughout his career, Grant has contributed to the professional development of his peers as a preceptor, mentor and field trainer at all paramedic levels.
In addition to patient care delivery, for the last 25 years, Grant has volunteered for the Paramedic Association of Canada and the Ambulance Paramedics of BC writing, reviewing and revising the corporate bylaws. He is also the Chair of the Paramedic Association's Benevolent Committee. This committee is tasked with providing support to families of paramedics killed in the line of duty.
Grant is also the past President and founding Board member of the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation, a registered charity seeking to build a national monument in Ottawa to showcase paramedicine and pay respect to fallen Canadian paramedics.
Grant was appointed to the board December 31, 2018, and was reappointed in December of 2022 until December 31, 2024.