Alberta government plans to add ambulances, EMS crews to improve response times

The Alberta government is planning to add more ambulances and hire more paramedics to try to improve EMS response times.

Health Minister Jason Copping announced on Monday that $1.5 million from Budget 2023 will be allocated to train and hire additional staff and paramedics.

Copping said the funding boost will add 10 staff in Calgary, one in Lethbridge and one in Red Deer during peak hours this year.

The money will also be used to conduct a review of available EMS resources and how they are used in communities across Alberta, he said.

Speaking to paramedics at Stonegate EMS station in northeast Calgary on Monday, Copping said he understands that EMS staff have been overworked and tired throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Copping also announced additional funding for mental health supports for EMS staff across the province. Around $1 million will be used to fund mental health resources and another $3 million will be used to address paramedic fatigue in rural communities by adjusting shift schedules and work hours.

Copping said the funding is part of $740 million on the EMS operating budget, a 23 per cent increase from last year. This is on top of $50 million in funding over three years to add more ambulances and upgrade new equipment for EMS, he said.

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“We’ve heard you loud and clear. You are tired and overextended and you want to see change,” he said.

“We owe you more than just our gratitude. We owe it to you and all Albertans to make things better.”

Budget 2023 will also provide additional funding for the EMS-811 shared response program, which transfers non-urgent calls to registered nurses. It will also add and train additional health-care staff in rural communities, as well as upgrade new equipment in those areas.

All of these measures aim to reduce EMS response times, Copping said.

“Many of these solutions were brought forward by front-line workers and key EMS partners who know first-hand what needs to change and how to fix the system,” the health minister said.

“All of these new commitments build upon a foundation we already laid. We promised help is on the way through our Health Care Action Plan.

“Changes made today are working together to lift the entire system and give Albertans a better experience in the health-care system.”

Opposition health critic David Shepherd called Copping’s news conference a “hasty pre-election announcement” that does nothing to solve the EMS crisis.

“After four years under the UCP, Albertans continue to wait longer than ever for ambulances to arrive,” Shepherd said in an emailed statement.

“Paramedics remain exhausted, burnt out and under excruciating pressure. Crews are still frequently stuck at overwhelmed emergency rooms, unable to transfer their patients for hours on end when they should be home with their families.”