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‘More irons in the fire:’ City of Red Deer continues fight to restore local ambulance dispatching

The mayor is heartened the new health minister wants to start a dialogue
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The City of Red Deer is continuing its lobbying effort to restore local ambulance dispatching. (File photo by Advocate staff)

The City of Red Deer’s fight to improve ambulance dispatching service continues — despite a recent setback.

Mayor Ken Johnston said “we have more than one iron in the fire” after Alberta’s Ombudsman decided she couldn’t look into the city’s complaint about the provincial change to local dispatching.

While Johnston was disappointed that health matters fall outside the ombudsman’s jurisdiction, he’s optimistic that a more effective ambulance dispatching system can be restored in the province.

He said two recent developments are giving him renewed hope.

Firstly, new Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping recently called up the mayors of four Alberta municipalities — Red Deer, Lethbridge, Calgary and the regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo — which have been fighting the change to centralized ambulance.

Johnston said that Copping wants to start a dialogue.

Although no meeting date has yet been set, Red Deer’s mayor is heartened that the minister initiated this positive step forward. “I think it’s terrific and pro-active of him to ask us to enter into a good discussion.”

Johnston said the other development is an upcoming meeting of the provincial ambulance working group, which hasn’t met for several months.

The City of Red Deer’s protective services general-manager Ken McMullen is planning to share concerns about lengthening ambulance response times. As the deputy health minister usually attends these meetings, it’s another way to bring these concerns to the attention of the provincial government, said Johnston.

Last month, the City of Red Deer’s resolution urging the province to hire a third-party to investigate whether the new ambulance dispatch system is living up to professional standards, regarding response times, was endorsed by Alberta Municipalities association.

Johnston believes this matter has since been referred to a sub-committee of the association to determine which course of action to take.

The city’s goal is “to return to a model that was working in the past and has a proven track record,” said Johnston.

Last January, Red Deer’s local ambulance dispatch system was dismantled by the provincial government. Local calls for an ambulance are now answered by a centralized system that’s separate from Red Deer’s fire dispatchers.

Since the City of Red Deer employs cross-trained fire-medics to respond to fire and medical emergencies, city officials have argued this new system makes no sense for this region and could endanger lives.

Johnston said the City of Red Deer is still willing to pay extra to return to local ambulance dispatching, which provides quicker, more efficient service.



lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

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