Alberta Health Service (AHS) announced the addition of paramedic staff and increased ambulance hours in Chestermere to better serve the lakeside city.
A press release on Aug. 25 indicated additional paramedic coverage through AHS’ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) would be implemented in the bedroom communities of both Chestermere and Okotoks. According to the release, ambulance coverage in both municipalities will be available locally, 24 hours a day, whereas previously, ambulances from surrounding areas have served the community outside of pre-determined coverage hours.
Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping stated additional EMS resources are another step forward in the ongoing response to the “unprecedented increase in demand on EMS” in the province.
“[Additional EMS] will help improve services in Okotoks and Chestermere, as well as the communities and rural areas around them,” Copping said in the same AHS press release.
“We’ll keep adding capacity to the system and working to bring response times back down within AHS’ targets, where they were until volumes surged last summer.”
AHS stated expanded service provision is the result of the government’s EMS 10-Point Plan, a scheme to add both capacity to EMS and ensure critical care patients receive immediate aid.
According to the government, the plan is now creating capacity in the health-care system as EMS continues to manage a sustained increase in 9-1-1 calls.
Prior to the addition of these resources, AHS considered a variety of factors when allocating paramedic coverage, including municipal call volume, population increase, age and demographics, and each community’s proximity to urgent and emergency health-care facilities, stated the health authority.
“We have been steadfast in our goal of adding capacity to the system,” said Darren Sandbeck, chief paramedic and senior provincial director of AHS EMS. “We continue to manage a sustained increase in call volume of about 30 per cent above pre-pandemic call volume that is keeping EMS crews busy.
“I want to thank our paramedics and staff profoundly for their continued service and dedication to patients.”
Beginning Aug. 15, eight new paramedics have started working in Okotoks and Chestermere (four in each municipality).
According to AHS, additional suburban coverage is also being bolstered by nine additional ambulances, which are now serving patients in Calgary and Edmonton.
“[AHS] is helping to relieve some pressure on EMS and reducing demand on EMS support from neighbouring communities,” continued the press release.
Ambulance availability in Calgary’s bedroom communities has been a cause of concern in recent years. Earlier this summer, the Alberta NDP released figures from a FOIP (Freedom of information and protection of privacy) request that showed ambulances in Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, and Strathmore responded to calls in Calgary more than 30,000 times in a span of three years.
Funding for nine additional ambulances stems from $16 million included in the current government’s budget and is also a component of the provincial health authority’s EMS 10-Point Plan.
When reached for comment, the City of Chestermere stated it is pleased to see AHS increase ambulance coverage to better serve residents of the municipality.
“Chestermere is one of the fastest-growing communities in the province,” read the statement from the City of Chestermere. “Our residents and surrounding communities deserve to have the service gap in emergency medical services addressed in a meaningful way.
“The announcement is a step in the right direction.”
Those interested in learning more about AHS’ recent efforts to ensure sustainable high-quality EMS care are encouraged to visit AHS’ website.
