New ambulances announced in Alberta, paramedic's union says not enough
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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.