Public Meeting - Ambulance Transition (5 of 5)

This meeting was held on March 24, 2009 at Keyano College to inform the residents of the Regional Municipality of Woodbuffalo (Fort McMurray) about the upcoming transition of ambulance governance to the Province of Alberta. Concerned citizen Trevor Coates invested a considerable amount of time and personal finance to make this meeting happen. Representatives from the Province and from the Municipality were asked to speak at this event, but, declined to respond. Brad Grainger, president of the local union International Association of Firefighters, and Tim Moen (me) Firefighter/Paramedic were on hand to give personal opinions and speculate about what this transition might mean to local residents.

Some key points raised were:

- Local residents did not ask for nor do they feel they were consulted about this decision. If local residents do not want to change service level, then it is unethical to force the change on them.

-Given the dissociation between Provincial and Municipal budgets and goals, it appears there is no political desire for the Municipality to contract with the Province. It appears innevitable that the Fire Department will divest itself of ambulance services in the next few years.

- 9-1-1 dispatchers benefit from having local knowledge, how will residents benefit from Peace River processing Fort McMurray's ambulance calls?

- Firehalls are strategically locate to ensure quick response, how can the Province hope to beat that?

- Citizens benefit from an ambulance service that is run locally by members invested in the community.

- A provincial medical director implies homogenized treatment protocols. How will local paramedics be able to rapidly respond to changing local conditions that require rapidly changing operating guidelines and treatment protocols with the amount of red tape the province proposes?

- With 9-1-1 and Fire Department staff and infrastructure staying put , how does it make any sense (economically or logistically) to divest ambulance and dispatching services to outsiders.

- The Province has granted funding for 3.5 ambulances. The local Fire Department staffs 3 ambulances but as ambulance calls surge they can quickly flex crews from the Fire Apparatus to ambulances to provide a total of 7 ambulances if the need arises. How will the Province handle surges in call volumes.

To find out how you can get involved in fighting the Province and maintaining the ambulance service level in Fort McMurray and area contact Trevor Coates at trevorjcoates@hotmail.com, or MLA Guy Boutilier at fortmcmurray.woodbuffalo@assembly.ab.ca .

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