WHEREAS provincial funding supporting the training of volunteer first responders has been reduced by the Emergency and Health Services Commission; AND WHEREAS the reduction of funding will impact all fire departments throughout BC that are delivering emergency pre-hospital assistance under the Provincial Emergency Medical Assistant First Responder Program; AND WHEREAS emergency medical services is a provincial responsibility which is delivered, in part, by a majority of local governments in BC through their fire departments under the Provincial Medical Assistant First Responder Program and which has been acknowledged by the provincial government as a valuable program in providing patient support until paramedics arrive: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to continue its commitment to fully financially support the training of dedicated volunteer first responders to ensure they have the skills required to provide high quality pre-hospital emergency assistance to patients where first responders are the first to arrive on the scene.
Ministry of Health, Emergency Health Services Commission First Responders are a key element in the provision of pre-hospital care within British Columbia. They provide basic first aid and emergency health services, including CPR and cardiac defibrillation, while paramedics are enroute to a medical emergency. Training is a critical component in ensuring that first responders across British Columbia can provide the appropriate care when needed. The Emergency and Health Services Commission EHSC proactively supports agencies that have little or no resources by funding training sessions in rural and remote communities. The EHSC provides financial support for composite and volunteer fire departments in communities with a population less than 25,000. EHSC will reimburse the cost of programs taken through the Academy of Emergency Training, Canadian Red Cross and the Justice Institute School of Health Sciences.