Fire and ambulance dispatch service will stay in Lethbridge

LETHBRIDGE- Coaldale’s fire chief thought EMS dispatch and Integrated Fire and Ambulance services in Lethbridge would never return. But a tweet from Mayor Chris Spearman brought positive news to the city on Friday.

“I thought that this was never going to happen, that once that train left the station it was never going to change tracks,” said Andy Van Rijn, Coaldale’s Fire Chief. “I thought it was going to be a done deal but I’m very excited.”

“We met with Minister Horne Thursday morning and he advised Bridget and I that Lethbridge would be keeping the dispatch for Lethbridge and the region around us, so it was great news,” said Lethbridge West MLA Greg Weadick.

For two years, opposition to the changes was brought forward. Various members in the community voiced their concerns when these services were scheduled to transferred to Calgary. The changes were set to take place in the spring.

“We had people from all over writing letters, making phone calls and getting involved and you know, if you’re going to make your community concerns heard, it takes a community to do it,” adds Weadick.

Members of council voiced their concerns when the changes were announced.

“When you have excellent response times, a system that’s working well, nobody wants that system dismantled. Nobody wants it run from a larger city from somewhere else, this is a positive step forward for Lethbridge and a great day for south western Alberta,” says Mayor Chris Spearman.

Weadick says things won’t just continue as status quo but that enhancements will be added for our area.

“We’ll have all the technology in our offices to see where all the ambulances are in and out of our boarders, which will be a really nice step up and then we’ll have enhanced training so everyone in the province is training to the same level of dispatch.”

Staff at fire headquarters say they don’t know what those changes will be or when they’ll be implemented. They haven’t spoken with Alberta Health Services yet, but say they’re anxious to find out what they are.

“There’s a lot of details that have to be ironed out from here on to make sure they meet our objectives for the continuation of safety in Lethbridge as well as the objectives from Alberta Health Services,” said Fire Chief Brian Cornforth.

With the upgrades coming to Lethbridge dispatch, the centre will also be able to provide assistance to other parts of the province if the need ever arises.

There has been no word from the health minister on any other communities who will keep dispatch, but Weadick adds there is continued discussion going on in communities like Red Deer and Fort McMurray.