Sounding the Alarm: All Albertans must speak up against changes to EMS Dispatch
Have you ever had to dial 911? We certainly hope not, but if you have, you do not need us to tell you how frightening and potentially life-altering this situation can be. Currently, Alberta has seven 911 ambulance dispatch centres, four of which operate from regional hub communities: Red Deer, Lethbridge, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), and Calgary. Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced its intent to cut the total number of Provincial dispatch centres from seven down to three.
We have been strongly advocating to the Provincial Government and engaging with Albertans on this issue because it is a matter of life and death, not just for the people in the communities we represent, but for every Albertan.
The consolidation of ambulance dispatch means three potential emergency response changes for all Albertans:
1) The end of integrated emergency response (a partnership between fire and ambulance that Alberta was once a leader in),