WHEREAS there have been recent changes to training opportunities for paramedics, and there has been a loss of sufficient trained personnel to maintain staff at certain remote stations; AND WHEREAS attendants on call in a remote ambulance station receive only 2 per hour, and it is unrealistic to expect persons to put forward 5000 in training money for a position that is in effect, a volunteer position: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM request the provincial government to provide training for paramedics at a minimal cost to the trainee, such personal cost to be sufficient only to indicate commitment to service.
BC Ambulance Service, Ministry of Health Services BC Ambulance Service BCAS recognizes that training paramedics, particularly in rural and remote areas of the province, is a challenge and training costs can be an obstacle to recruiting new paramedics. To help address this issue BCAS has partnered with municipal councils and community organizations on recruitment and have hosted and paid for Emergency Medical Responder EMR training for new hires in targeted rural and remote areas. In 200607, 120 new BCAS employees were trained to the EMR level as part of the recruitment and retention strategy and we continued this strategy in 200708. BCAS has had success in rural and remote communities by concentrating recruitment efforts on residents who want to stay in their communities and work as a part-time paramedic as a form of community service. With regards to Primary Care Paramedic PCP level training, the Government contributed 5 million to establish the Vancouver Foundations Emergency Medical Assistants Education Fund to help defray training costs for paramedic license upgrades. The fund will help upgrade EMRs to the PCP level of practice and help upgrade PCPs to the Advanced Care Paramedic ACP level. This fund will annually support a minimum of 48 awards for PCPs at 5,000 each and ten awards for ACPs at 15,000 each to help pay for tuition, books and offset some living expenses. Preference to successful applicants is given to those working in the rural and remote areas of the province. As part of the November 2004 Memorandum of Agreement with the CUPE 873 Union, BCAS provided 1.5 million of one-time funding for PCP training for 156 paramedics. BCAS also fully funded 38 paramedics to take the ACP course from 2005-2008 at an approximate cost of 3.5 million. As a result of these and other initiatives BCAS has more qualified PCP and ACP level paramedics than previous, and is committed to continuing to provide on-going support to current and future paramedics. The BCAS recognizes that quality patient care requires that paramedics participate in medically directed education throughout their career. BCAS invests approximately 6.9 million annually to support continuing education for paramedics and first responders across the province. BCAS employs over 3,400 full and part time paramedics across the province.