Whereas the high number of call volumes for volunteer fire departments to respond to medical calls far exceeds regular fire related needs; And whereas the resources of volunteer fire departments and concerns for volunteer retention and burnout is a concern due to excessive medical calls: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to support additional funding and review any feasibility studies to ensure that provincial resources for BC Ambulance and 911 services are adequate to service local populations.
Ministry of Health The support provided by First Responders FRs during medical emergencies is an important part of the delivery of pre-hospital emergency health services to the people of British Columbia. BC Emergency Health Services BCEHS and the Province value the role that FRs play in pre-hospital emergency care. The Ministry of Health appreciates the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Departments ongoing concern for fiscal accountability, as you continue to determine how to best allocate your funding and resources for responding to urgent and routine calls. When a 911 call is triaged, BCEHS uses the Medical Priority Dispatch System to determine the care the patient requires and the most appropriate response. Based on this information, the Clinical Response Model CRM indicates the resource and response type for an event and it also indicates the relative priority of the call. The CRM uses a colour-coding system of Purple, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green or Blue. Purple is the high-acuity and urgent, and Blue is the lowest-acuity priority. BCEHS notifies first responder agencies who have agreements with BCEHS of time critical calls purple and red. Establishing an agreement with BCEHS is voluntary and each municipality, including the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department, can determine the level of call response they respond to. This approach provides municipalities with the ability to directly manage all costs associated with their participation in pre-hospital care. Since 2017, the BC government has taken significant steps to improve emergency health services in our province by hiring more paramedics and dispatch staff, delivering more ambulances, improving services in rural communities, and significantly increasing the BCEHS budget. With respect to ensuring that provincial resources for BC Ambulance and 911 services are adequate to service local populations, the Ministry of Health and BCEHS routinely assess service levels and resources required to meet the needs of communities. BCEHS is committed to providing timely, high quality and safe pre-hospital care for patients throughout British Columbia, while using public resources in an effective and efficient manner. As part of this commitment, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with BCEHS, fire departments, municipalities and other stakeholders, are working together to implement a coordinated approach to pre-hospital care that will ensure people throughout the province have access to the pre-hospital are they need.