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Paramedics understaffed and hoping for change

A grass-roots initiative called, Your Paramedics, is petitioning to have ambulance service paramedics and dispatchers deemed an essential service, similar to police or fire services.

This would mean paramedics and dispatchers would not be allowed to strike and their employer could not lock them out. They would be under the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act.

Currently in B.C. many paramedics are experiencing burn-out.

The stations are understaffed and it's difficult to find staff with the current level of pay.

"There are quite a few days (this month included) where we don't have enough, or any staff that can work the car, and so that means that there is about a 150 + kilometre gap between the next closest ambulance and a patient if something were to happen," said a BC paramedic, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Right now in B.C., paramedics make anywhere from $2 for being on call to $30 per hour, depending on if you're part time or not.

The local paramedic in the Thompson-Okanagan says it's time for change, especially when it comes to staffing.

"I can remember being down on the coast last year and talking to a full-time worker down there and she mentioned to me that nine cars were out of service on that particular night across Vancouver, just because there weren't enough staff free or willing to work that night," said the B.C. paramedic.

He's based in the Thompson-Okanagan, but says the majority of his staff are from out of town.

Some even drive six hours each way just to work a shift.

"Any shifts we put, we will get, and it usually results in us sitting out of town in an ambulance station for several days or so - Maybe getting calls, maybe not," he said.

"It just makes it a bit difficult financially."

He says they also run something called 'First Responder' shifts when only one person is available, which means you are alone.

"If a call comes in, you drive alone to the site and try to stabilize the patient for as long as it takes for another ambulance to get there (likely upwards of an hour)," he said.

According to the paramedic, only half of his class graduated from the paramedic program and yet they are incredibly under staffed at work.

"Then once we finished, there were so many hoops to jump through to become employed, that I know probably at least another 40 per cent never ended up working."

But he says he is hopeful with the government offering more support, it will help add sufficient staffing to the different stations.

Based on the government funding, he says things are moving in the right direction.

<who> Flickr </who> Minister Terry Lake announces $91.4M for emergency health services.

In March of 2017, Minister Terry Lakes announced that over the next three years, the province will be adding $91.4 million to emergency health services.

“British Columbians in emergencies rely on the skills provided by paramedics, dispatchers and other staff with BC Emergency Health Services,” said Health Minister Terry Lake.

Keith Robert Taylor is the regional vice-president with the Ambulance Paramedics Emergency Dispatchers of BC.

He says the $91.4 million is a step in the right direction.

"It's a step, it's not the end goal," said Taylor.

"We still believe we need to look at staffing and resources as a collective and keep that a key part of the engagement between our local and government."

According to Taylor, the national average standard time for arriving at the site of a patient is eight minutes and 59 seconds.

"So in BC right now, the goal was only being met about 30 per cent of the time," said Taylor.

According to Ambulance Paramedics of BC, paramedics respond to an average of 827 patients per day.

In 2016, paramedics recorded 19,275 overdose calls.

While Taylor says the funding is a step in the right direction, the resources are already spread thin and the numbers of overdoses are climbing.

"One of our consistent messages in our current campaign...is we need to support the BC Paramedics Emergency Dispatchers from the front lines of the opioid crisis and most healthcare emergencies," said Taylor.

Earlier this year a study looked at response times and staffing in the Lower Mainland.

The study found that they were 25 resources short.

"We don't believe they need to extend the study. We believe that this statistic plays right through the province in many areas and for example in our areas - Kamloops and Kelowna."

The grass roots organization, Your Paramedics has until April 9th to get its' petitions signed and into Victoria.

So whether it's getting the same recognition as fire and police services, or simply getting on top of the staffing shortage, paramedics are hoping for change and wondering whether the $91.4 million will be the answer.



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