Whereas the provincial investments in the BC Ambulance Service have not kept pace with growth and inflation in BC municipalities; And whereas municipal fire and rescue services are often the first responders to calls for medical service causing elevated wear and tear on fire apparatus and are unable to leave the scene until an ambulance arrives thus putting the community fire protection services at risk: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province to consider funding the capital and operating costs of medic trucks in local governments to ensure that an adequate level of fire protection is maintained in the community and the cost of providing purely medical services, a provincial responsibility, are not unfairly burdening local governments.
Ministry of Health The support provided by First Responders FRs during medical emergencies is an essential 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 City of Missions 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. BCEHS notifies first responder agencies who have agreements with BCEHS of time critical calls. Establishing an agreement with BCEHS is voluntary and each municipality, including the City of Mission, can determine the extent of their participation and the calls they respond to. This approach provides municipalities with the ability to directly manage all costs associated with their participation in pre-hospital care. Some municipalities have chosen to have FRs continue to attend both urgent and routine non-emergency calls, while others have elected to have first responders attend only urgent medical calls where a patients condition will benefit from initial care. Through continued and increased investment, the BC government is supporting BCEHS to take targeted action to improve emergency health services throughout the province. Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, BCEHS announced 800 new hires across BCEHS paramedics, dispatch, and support services into existing vacancies and new positions the largest expansion of staffing in BCEHS history. BCEHS has also increased ground and air ambulances coverage throughout the province, implemented a more efficient 9-1-1 system, increased training for paramedics and provided funding to support the mental health and wellness of BCEHS employees. In addition, to improve ambulance services in 60 rural and remote communities, a new staffing model has launched to provide consistent and reliable community-based out of hospital care which adds 271 new full time paramedic positions to the province. As part of this new approach, 55.2 stand alone, full-time community paramedic positions will be dedicated to providing community-based care and community outreach through the new model.