Not enough ambulances on road: paramedics

[K9kazoo]

Not enough ambulances on road: paramedics

Updated at 6:33 PM

By Bartley Kives

Winnipeg's paramedic union claims the city doesn't have enough ambulances on the road to respond to an emergency on the scale of the St. Clements balloon crash, never mind a major crisis such as the Minneapolis bridge disaster.

High call volumes and a shortage of available ambulances have crippled the city's ability to respond to serious crises, claims the Professional Paramedic Association of Winnipeg, much to the surprise of both the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service and politicians at City Hall.

"Every paramedic fears the day something serious happens in Winnipeg, as we are short-staffed and under-resourced," said PPAW vice-president Marc Savard.

"This city has clearly been lucky. I hate to say it, but sooner or later we're going to have a situation we can't handle."

Savard said several times a day, there may be as few as one or two ambulances available to respond to medical emergencies out of a total complement of 13 to 21.

First responders staffed by firefighters are doing an admirable job of treating patients at the scene and taking care of intoxicated people, but only ambulances can transport patients -- and there frequently are not enough available to handle multiple injuries, he said.

Saturday's balloon crash in the RM of St. Clements, which saw 12 people suffer a variety of injuries, would have overwhelmed the city, he claimed, adding a Minneapolis-style bridge collapse would have been devastating.

At a time when the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is still basking in the glow of a labour deal between once-squabbling firefighter and paramedic unions, Savard's comments have startled both WFPS managers and elected officials.

"I would never say there will never be (an event) that would overwhelm our resources, but we have plans in place for emergency situations," said deputy chief Ken Sim, who's in charge of operations. "I'm quite confident we are more than capable of handling a situation and I'm struggling to understand why they (the union) are making these statements."

Winnipeg can easily increase the number of vehicles available to respond to crises by freeing ambulances up from hospital duty, and in the event of even more serious crises, the city can call in ambulances from neighbouring municipalities or even ask the military for help -- as Minneapolis did last week, Sim said.

Winnipeg also conducts simulation exercises to prepare for emergencies ranging in severity from routine pile-ups to terrorist attacks, Sim added. The city has two Multi-Incident Response Vehicles (MIRVs) capable of treating three to five patients each, and is expecting the delivery of a new 10-patient MIRV bus sometime in the fall, he added.

"We're more than capable of handling emergencies. In fact, we've demonstrated it more than a few times over the years," he said, referring to incidents such as the 2005 Fort Richmond train derailment, the 2000 Assiniboine Forest plane crash and the 1998 school-bus crash on McGillivray Boulevard.

"Our day-to-day issues are far more complex than saying we only have three ambulances and don't have enough resources to handle an emergency."

The WFPS is about to boost its day-to-day ambulance service by adding another vehicle overnight with the help of $3.8 million in new provincial funding. Recruitment for new paramedics will begin in September and the ambulance should be on the road by November, Sim said. PPAW should be pleased with the injection of additional dollars and the political consensus about the need to beef up ambulance service even more, said St. Vital Coun. Gord Steeves, who chairs the council subcommittee in charge of emergency services.

"There are shortages, but doesn't everyone acknowledge we're moving in the right direction?" asked Steeves, suggesting the union may be engaging in hyperbole about emergency preparedness as a means of getting out in front of 2008 budget discussions.

"It's the union's job to bring up frailties in the system," he said. "But I am surprised by their tone, given the recent spirit of co-operation. It seems like we've regressed from where I thought we were right now."

PPAW vice-president Savard, however, said he's not just concerned about staffing.

"We're a union, but we're also patient advocates. We wear two hats," he said. "If people say we're scaremongering and trying to gain more resources, well that's their right. But do we need more resources? Yes."

■ bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca