In the span of one day, Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), the union that represents health professionals including EMS workers, sent out 19 emergency bulletins due to ambulance unavailability..Here is the timeline for September 26 bulletins sent out by HSAA on Facebook..• 1:10 a.m. – Cochrane Red Alert – No Cochrane ambulance available to respond.• 1:12 a.m. – Linden ambulance responding to an emergency event in Calgary.• 1:14 a.m. – Okotoks ambulance responding to an emergency event in Calgary.• 11:00 a.m. – Both Okotoks ambulances dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing* (*refers to a single shift).• 11:04 a.m. – High River ambulance downgraded from advanced life support to basic life support.• 11:06 a.m. – Linden ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 11:08 a.m. – Provost ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 11:09 a.m. – Hardisty ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 11:10 a.m. – Wainwright ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 1:02 p.m. – Drumheller ambulance downgraded from advanced life support to basic life support.• 4:17 p.m. – Calgary Red Alert – no Calgary ambulances available to respond.• 5:57 p.m. – Calgary Red Alert – no Calgary ambulances available to respond.• 6:00 p.m. – Airdrie ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 6:02 p.m. – Airdrie ambulance responding to an emergency event in South Calgary (5:55 p.m.).• 6:09 p.m. – Priddis ambulance responding to an emergency event in NE Calgary (3:45 p.m.).• 7:18 p.m. – Wheatland County Red Alert – no Strathmore ambulances available to respond.• 7:20 p.m. – All 3 Strathmore ambulances responding to emergency events in Calgary.• 7:37 p.m. – High River ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.• 11:33 p.m. – Priddis ambulance dropped from schedule and shut down due to short-staffing*.In 2020, the (greater) Calgary region experienced 3,324 EMS “red alerts.” Those are times when there are zero ambulances available for the entire Calgary zone. There were also 36,570 “orange alerts” for the Calgary zone. Those are triggered when there are only one to three ambulances available for the entire zone. The Calgary zone encompasses a population of 1,718,000 people..“This problem has been growing for years,” said Don Sharpe, a registered Alberta paramedic with a four-decade career..“We’re grateful the union has stepped up to share this info,” Sharpe said, referring to the numerous posts HSAA has been putting out notifying the public of the situations EMS staff are experiencing..“It’s so bad right now, one-third of our staff are booked off with physical and mental health injuries.”.According to stats Sharpe gathered from the Canadian Institute for Health Information – Emergency department data tables, in 2016 EMS crews spent 650,000 hours waiting in emergency with offload patients. The stats also show that an extra $12-million was paid out in wages due to 135,000 hours of overtime worked that same year..“AHS has said they are working on solutions for years, but it’s all lies. The (staffing) situation has become so intolerable,” Sharpe said..The Ed Stelmach government moved all ambulance services under AHS authority in April 2009..“When AHS took over the ambulance service, they promised to give better coverage, but they’ve driven it into the ground.”.AHS said they are constantly working on the situation..“Alberta’s EMS system is in constant fluctuation as ambulances respond to calls, arrive at hospitals, clear from calls, or as staff come on or go off shift,” said AHS spokesman Kerry Williamson..“EMS continues to see an unprecedented increase in emergency calls due to several combined factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid concerns, and emergency calls related to people returning to regular levels of activity. All call types have increased, and staff illness and fatigue are also contributing to challenges in the EMS system.”.Williamson confirmed EMS has brought in additional staff and is working to fill 100 paramedic positions across Alberta..“Ambulances are a provincial resource, and while they may be based in one location this does not mean they serve only that location,” said Williamson..“Anyone who needs EMS care will receive it. EMS staff are working extremely hard to provide timely care to Alberta patients and we thank them for their tireless service.”.The Western Standard’s Cory Morgan dug into the issue in a column back in August..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
