Under a new plan the BC Ambulance Service is changing how it responds to accident and medical emergency calls.
It’s called the ‘Resource Allocation Plan’ as paramedics attempt to cut first responder responses by about one-third.
The BC Ambulance Service says they plan to reduce the number of ‘Code 3’ calls, meaning those with lights and sirens, by about 29 per cent.
The changes mean paramedics might be sent out as ‘routine’, while the fire department is sent out with lights and sirens.
The Ambulance Service says the key reason is safety.
“There’s an unpredictability with the driving public,” says Dr. William Dick from the BC Ambulance Service. “There are definitely serious motor vehicle crashes because of ‘Code 3’ driving in spite of all the precautions we take.”
Dick says this does not mean there will be slower response times and people should not be worried about their safety when they call 911.
“In fact you will get the right response in the right amount of time and it will go to the right kind of patient,” says Dick.
The Service reviewed more than 900 911 calls when developing this plan.
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