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New ambulances announced in Alberta, paramedic's union says not enough

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There are 10 new ambulances in Alberta, but industry advocates say there aren't enough people to operate them.

Tuesday, AHS announced that Edmonton and Calgary will each get five new ambulances, and 20 paramedics to help operate them.

AHS reports that 911 call volumes have remained at 30 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels, with an increase of 60 per cent since 2010.

In addition to higher demand, AHS said in a press release that staff illness and fatigue have contributed to pressure on paramedics.

The announcement was met with criticism by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), the union representing Alberta paramedics.

"When you hear information, like adding resources to a system that is under pressure that needs the additional resources, I'll take that as good news every day of the week," Mike Parker, HSAA president, said. "The reality I have though, is that we're sitting at over 500 vacancies this week in the province."

"The situation is so dire today. We have the vehicles sitting there, the physical ambulances are sitting there, we just don't have the people."

Parker said that code-reds, called when there are no crews available to respond to 911 calls, are an everyday event in Alberta. He added that new ambulances are a good thing, but that focus should be on staffing to keep all ambulances on the road.

"As I've said, this is a step in a positive direction. We need a few more steps in [a] positive direction. Maybe it's time to start running in a positive direction to take care of the folks who take care of us," Parker said.

Parker said finding more full-time staff is needed,with less than 50 of the last 1,100 paramedic hires in Alberta being full-time. AHS should work on making Alberta a preferred employer to attract paramedics from across the country and help keep the ones already working in the province, he added.

"On the front lines, our folks are doing all they can to hold this system. And they're doing a great job of keeping us all safe," said Parker. "They need the support, they need the policies to ensure that they're taken care of." 

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