Edmonton firefighters to stop answering some 911 calls
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services respond to nearly 100,000 emergency calls every year, but most have nothing to do with fire.
On April 1, that's going to change.
Starting at the end of the month, EFRS plans to drop medical calls that are not "immediately life-threatening" or "time-critical."
In 2023, close to 70 per cent of the calls Edmonton firefighters responded to were medical calls.
EFRS chief Joe Zatylny claims leaving less-urgent medical matters to paramedics will improve firefighter's response times for people who need help the most.
"Something like a stomach ache, there will still be a response, and we will be there if EMS is not able to respond, but we need to focus on that 'down the street' when somebody needs us the most," Zatylny said.
Over the past five years, Edmonton firefighters have responded to medical calls voluntarily through an agreement with the province.
On March 18, EFRS presented Edmonton's Community and Public Services Committee a four-point plan to move away from many of those calls.
The plan includes changing the pre-alert process to eliminate unnecessary deployment, reducing calls to high-service locations like medical clinics and retirement homes where staff can assist patients while they wait for an ambulance, and revising lift-assist protocols to prioritize more emergency cases.
The fourth point is to amend that medical first response plan so firefighters are only responding to "truly life-threatening" medical calls.
"We anticipate that this would decrease the medical call volume by 31 per cent or almost 24,000 calls proportionally to total medical calls," EFRS assistant deputy chief Graham McAllister said on March 18.
"This would bring Edmonton in line with the medical service delivered by other fire services across major municipalities in Canada."
Most of the changes will come into effect May 1, while the lift-protocol adjustments will begin March 31.
The president of the union representing Edmonton firefighters said he's recommending the city not go ahead with the plan right now, due to worries over the community impact and a need for more engagement with firefighters.
With less than a week before changes are set to begin, one city councillor is also concerned things are moving too quickly and people may fall through the cracks.
"There was no time to put a stop to it," said Coun. Jo-Anne Wright. "We didn't even have an opportunity to requisition it up to council, because council's next meeting is April 3.
"So I do question the timing of things."
Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the City of Edmonton has full authority over which calls firefighters respond to, and she believes AHS can handle the extra call load.
"(An) EMS ambulance attends every single 911 call that they are triaged to attend," LaGrange said. "I know that we've added additional dollars within our budget this year – $730 million that we're spending on EMS – to ensure that the capacity grows.
"And I can say that we have seen a 20 per cent increase in response times since 2022 in the Edmonton area for EMS ambulance response."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Cybersecurity expert weighs in on the possibility of a U.S. ban of TikTok
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Have you heard the one about Trump? Biden tries humour on the campaign trail
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.