Vote to keep ambulance service under city control

[five_alarm]

CALGARY, AB - City Council should vote on Monday, Nov. 22, to keep its emergency medical services (EMS) under municipal control and not move it to the regional health authority, Calgary Paramedics urged today. The paramedics, members of Local 3421 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, say a partnership agreement can be signed with the Calgary Health Region (CHR) that is in line with the provincial government's funding framework for ground ambulance services. "Continued delivery of EMS by the City of Calgary is essential to secure and enhance service excellence, community responsiveness and accountability," said Bruce Robb, president of CUPE Local 3421. "Too many questions are raised with the proposal to move EMS to the Calgary Health Region," Robb said. "How will we maintain accountability and ensure adequate and sustainable funding? How will the so-called 'new EMS model' be integrated with Calgary Fire and Police services?" Calgary EMS is widely recognized as an exemplary service, leading other cities to study it as a model, including Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. "Clearly, the system isn't broken - so let's not try and 'fix' it," Robb said.

Source: cnw.ca (http://www.firehall.com/refer.php?url=http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/November2004/18/c4917.html&linkid=1119&parent=news(headlines)&)

[FireEMTGuy]

Calgary EMS is really fighting this issue with all they have. I believe a RHA based ambulance service would only serve to benifit the community, reduce "dead heads" with pt. transfers, and decrease response times.