Whereas many rural areas in the Province are isolated with limited communications and large distances from established communities, there is a need in extenuating circumstances for Emergency Medical Aid First Responders EMAFR to attend emergency scenes at a considerable distance from the station. These Out of Jurisdiction responses require both skilled personnel and a rescue vehicle and can be of several hours duration. In many instances, the EMAFR are located closer to the scene of an incident than BC Ambulance Service BCAS and can provide a response sooner than the BCAS; And whereas during these Out of Jurisdiction responses, fire departments are reimbursed for activities under Emergency Management BC Policy 2.07, Road and Medical Rescue; while Emergency Medical Aid First Responders are not reimbursed for their activities at the same scene: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask Emergency Management BC to include Emergency Medical Aid First Responders as eligible for reimbursement under Section 2.07.3 for extenuating circumstances.
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Emergency Management BC EMBC has prioritized working towards finding solutions for road rescue governance and funding, and is working with partners such as local governments, fire departments, and road rescue societies. EMBC staff have reviewed the current road rescue governance and funding model in British Columbia and are undertaking a cross-jurisdictional review of road rescue. This work will guide the Province in discussions with road rescue partners and could include revising the funding model for road rescue. Work to date has included consultation with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the Fire Chiefs Association of BC, as well as a survey of all road rescue service providers in British Columbia.