Alberta Health Services (AHS) officials have given Mountain View County's policies and priorities committee an update on ambulance services in the region and plans to continuing working with area fire departments.
Donald Allan and Nicholas Thain, both EMT-Ps with AHS, appeared as a delegation before the committee on Feb. 5.
Thain, the executive director of clinical operations for the Calgary zone (which includes MVC), outlined the three-year operational goals for ambulance service in the region and across the province: bring appropriate care to the community; partnering for better health outcomes; and achieving health system sustainability.
There are currently five advanced life support ambulances stationed in Mountain View County.
Under a new provincial deployment model, there are no longer jurisdictional boundaries for ambulances. Instead, a system status management system is used where ambulances are dispatched according to need and regardless of boundaries, said Thain.
Every ambulance now in service uses mobile data terminals, which provide accurate mapping of all locations, including for rural roads and properties, and real-time updates from dispatch, he said.
As well, ambulances are now equipped with an IDEN radio system backed by a mobile satellite radio system, allowing coverage even in the far West Country, he said.
Plans moving forward include "concentrating on providing a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertansî and "exploring non-traditional roles for assisting patients in community, including with community paramedic opportunities and non-ambulance transportation,î he said.
Coun. Duncan Milne told Thain that local firefighters are increasingly under time pressure due to first response calls.
"We are experiencing, through our fire departments being first responders, a large amount of burnout,î said Milne. "There are a large number of calls these guys are receiving and still having to go to work the next day. Is there anything through you guys that is addressing that? It's becoming a serious problem.î
Coun. Al Kemmere added: "As our communities grow there will be a higher incidence of medical first response needs and if that's all going to be laid on the backs of our volunteer fire departments the issue will not go away.î
Thain replied that he plans to continue discussions with local fire departments and municipalities regarding the issue of first response.
"We respect that and understand that these are volunteer departments and members have other careers and lives,î said Thain.
"We have undertaken a number of initiatives in the zone working directly with departments to understand what calls they should be going to, and what calls they feel they should be going to, and then moving forward with a plan that they feel can best reflect the commitment they are putting forward for their community.
"I am happy to get back together with the fire chiefs in this area to start that dialogue and looking at what municipalities feel is appropriate commitment. We are happy to work with municipalities.î