Whereas in May 2018 the BC Emergency Health Services introduced a new dispatch protocol for pre-hospital care, where first responders such are fire departments are requested only for the most urgent events or for events where an ambulance will take more than 10 minutes to respond, and this has raised concerns from local governments regarding access to emergency services in their communities; And whereas communities in BC are diverse and require solutions that consider local capacity and local emergency health care needs; Therefore be it resolved that the Ministry of Health, BCEHS and BC local governments work together to implement a co-ordinated approach to pre-hospital care, consistent with the recommendations in the February 2019 Auditor General Report on Access to Emergency Health Services, to: - create signed agreements outlining the roles and responsibilities of fire departments based on local need; and - to confirm that first responders are being notified of events where they can best contribute to patient care.
Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health and BC Emergency Health Services BCEHS are working together to plan, implement and monitor measurable actions in response to the recommendations in the auditor generals report. A stakeholder engagement plan is in development, and consent agreements between BCEHS and municipalities will be established or refreshed. These agreements will address data sharing, medical oversight, and roles and responsibilities. The Ministry and BCEHS are committed to strengthening collaboration with municipal first responders and improving the delivery of emergency health services in the province.