EMS official says efforts are being made to address ambulance issue

An EMS official says they are acutely aware of ambulance issues in the region and are attempting to address them.

Randy Bryksa, associate executive director in the Calgary Zone, told council EMS has faced more than a 30 per cent increase in volume, prolonged hospital times, fluctuating staffing levels, and the challenges posed by suburban EMS ambulances responding to Calgary calls.

"We are aware, acutely aware, that we're not meeting the benchmarks we set out to do, so we'll continue to lobby the government, continue to work in that vein," said Bryksa. "I've been given the resources I have, and I have to work within those resources, but I assure you we continue to lobby the government, and I hope that the EMS advisory committee that's been established by the province will address some of the concerns we've been bringing forward."

Mayor Jeff Genung says it's a step forward to hear an official admit there are issues. He's hopeful the 10-point plan the province has put in place will lead to improvements to the service in Cochrane and reduce the flexing of our ambulances.

"The takeaway I had was we can't take our foot off the gas," says Mayor Genung. "We need to stay on provincial officials and the health minister. Yes, they're dealing with COVID and have a lot on their plate, but they need to deal with the service delivery problems we're seeing with our ambulances."

Councillor Alex Reed said the province needs to acknowledge the municipalities have been subsiding the system through their fire services.

"The structure is simply not working. I wish you the best in terms of these ideas, but I hope you'll continue to recognize that Cochrane's not being well served from my perspective, given the stats that you provided. I think we've had enough of the rhetoric. It's just time to fix what's broken."

Stacey Loe, executive director of Protective and Community Services, said fire services staffing is not based directly upon providing ambulance support.

"We have not staffed significantly because of medical calls, we have staffed because our calls have increased as our population increases. But, yes, there is a correlation in an increase in medical calls as well."

Mayor Genung says they will be crunching the numbers to better understand the full impact upon ratepayers.

One change that's coming is the doubling of hours of operation of the Cochrane-based basic life support (BLS) unit. Starting Apr. 25, it will increase to 16 hours a day, five days a week.

He says that the start date is based upon notice they are required to provide by the terms of their collective agreement.

"It will correspond with the hours of the Urgent Care Centre so that if we have to move somebody out in a timely fashion, they will do the transport instead of the advance life support options."

Bryksa says this approach is having a positive impact elsewhere.

"This is something we started about four years ago to keep the 9-1-1 resources available. From what we've seen, the data is saying we need to move and expand that, and we've most recently taken steps to do that."

He says personnel is available for the positions and they will be primary care paramedics (formerly known as EMTs). 

Brian Winter, chair of the Cochrane EMS Crisis Citizens Action Group, says the presentation received by town council here was similar to those in both Canmore and Airdrie.

His top concern remains the borderless system.

"Every municipality has a border, there's school board border, everybody has a border, and we have a borderless system, which means we include all those units from other areas. It makes no sense to me, none at all."

He says the citizens' action group will continue to push for the implementation of its three-point plan that they are confident will address issues here.

Mayor Jeff Genung pressed on Cochrane's desire to keep its ambulances within its borders but even if he agreed, it is not up to Bryksa.

Winter says exactly where to apply pressure for its adoption is something the group will be discussing at their next meeting when they dissect the presentation.

"Just like our mayor said, our municipalities have to put pressure on our provincial government. If it's too hot in the kitchen for AHS, maybe they should move over because I know of a good cook."

He says he doesn't have much faith that change is coming soon, and is skeptical of the new EMS committee.

"What this new EMS committee should be doing is holding townhalls across the province in March and April. But I think they're too scared to hear what they're going to hear."

Winter was on a sour gas advisory committee that did tour the province to hear from Albertans.

He's also skeptical of them being able to fill the positions necessary to expand the BLS hours. 

"That's fine and dandy, but they can't even fill the shifts they've got, so how are they going to do that? I have no idea."

Bryksa has met with most of the town councils in the Calgary region and is in Strathmore on Wednesday night.

"I would have to say all mayors and councils are concerned, and rightfully so. but the response has been nothing short of fantastic."

He is pleased to have heard nothing but support and praise for his staff, and he echoes the sentiment.

"From there, we continue to look at where can the mayors and council support us in getting our message out."

Between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, there were 2,383 calls for emergency medical services in Cochrane.

In that same time frame, 68 per cent of the call volume was for Cochrane, 26 per cent for Calgary, and a marginal amount for both Airdrie and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.

Calgary is the community the Cochrane ambulances assist the most, followed by Rocky View County and the Stoney Nakoda Nation.

The Cochrane EMS Crisis Citizens Action Group offered free hot chocolate in the parking of the Cochrane RancheHouse prior to the Feb. 7 meeting.