CALGARY — Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is concerned that the pending takeover of ambulance dispatching by Alberta Health Services could slow response times.
Currently, the city oversees dispatching fire, police and ambulance services, but starting next year AHS will take control of ambulance calls.
Nenshi has written to Health Minister Fred Horne, saying that transferring calls between dispatch centres in the city and AHS could cause problems.
Gary Williamson, a Calgary realtor who suffered a heart attack two years ago, says the current system works and he doesn’t want it to undergo major changes.
Officials with AHS are standing by their training program and say technology will make the difference to ensure ambulances are dispatched quickly.
Horne plans to meet with Nenshi in the next few weeks to discuss his concerns.