Fire departments within southern Alberta’s MD of Willow Creek will begin transporting some patients to hospital if Alberta Health Services EMS is delayed.
The MD adopting a new operating guideline, trying to provide medical assistance sooner.
“We have a large geographical area that kind of lends itself to longer wait times,” said Kelly Starling, MD of Willow Creek director of emergency services and fire chief. “That’s where we see the need for it moving forward.”
According to Starling, Willow Creek bought three emergency response units — unregistered ambulances — in 2014.
They were part of a one-year pilot project with AHS, allowing patient transport.
The units have been used for medical first response since the pilot ended, but with the new guideline, will provide rides for patients if needed as determined by medical professionals.
“Our crews will contact an online medical control centre, which has their AHS deployment manager and our medical director on the line and if it’s in the best case for the patient, then we’ll be able to transport,” Starling said.
“AHS has introduced a protocol that allows for medical first responders on scene to make a connection with an emergency physician in EMS Dispatch when they are faced with a critical patient and extenuating circumstances,” a statement from AHS reads.
“This process helps to assess if transportation is an option for the patient, or if supporting the patient until EMS arrives is the best approach.”
The MD’s new measure was implemented after AHS introduced that protocol.
Every municipality within the MD is adopting the new guideline, including the towns of Nanton, Stavely, Fort Macleod and Claresholm.
“The Claresholm Fire Department is pleased to join with our inter-municipal partners in the adoption of the Operating Guideline for Transporting Patients During Prolonged Response Times initiative,” Claresholm fire chief Craig White said in a statement to Global News.
“We recognize that AHS EMS is under extreme pressures of late and this initiative gives our fire crew on scene yet another tool in the toolbox when responding EMS crews are delayed due to distance or other factors.”
“It is important to note that this will not take the place of AHS EMS, rather it is an option that can be enacted only though direct consultation between the on-scene fire department medical first responders and AHS EMS medical directors,” White said.
AHS has introduced several measures intended to reduce ambulance wait time, which AHS calls “one of four priority areas.”
They include supporting the use of alternative transport options, sending 911 calls to 811 when appropriate and enhancing partnerships with other first responder groups.
“We are seeing results. Fewer ambulances are being pulled away from their home communities, and response times in our urban centres are stabilizing and are close to our performance targets,” the AHS statement reads.