911 changes won’t affect the Hat
By GILLIAN SLADE on August 7, 2020.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade Medicine Hat is not likely to be affected by the Alberta Health Services announcement this week to consolidate EMS 911 dispatch services. Paul Blasetti, manager of Medicine Hat’s 911 communications centre, says the change will have little or no impact here. “Currently, the Medicine Hat 911 Communications Centre handles all 911 calls for our service area, as well as provides dispatch services for local police and fire as well as our rural fire services within our area of coverage,” Blasetti said in an email. When a 911 call is determined to be solely for EMS (ambulance) in a particular service area, “the 911 caller is then transferred under supervision to a call taker at one of AHS EMS’ Communications Centres located in Calgary, Edmonton and Peace River.” AHS then speaks to the caller to determine the need and sends the appropriate EMS resources, said Blasetti. “If it is determined that fire or police are needed, they will request such service from the local area through their local PSAP/dispatch centre.” The EMS announcement this week will affect EMS 911 dispatch services in Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray. These four municipally-run sites had remained separate from the AHS EMS provincial dispatch system established in 2009. This transition affects EMS 911 dispatch services only; all local municipal fire, police and medical first response will continue to be dispatched by the local municipalities. AHS’s decision follows a recommendation in the Ernst & Young review of AHS released Dec. 31, 2019. AHS says the consolidation will allow the EMS system to send the nearest available ambulance to a patient regardless of geographic boundaries. It will also save more than $6 million per year by consolidating the services. The transition will take place over approximately six months. The four mayors of the cities impacted have asked for a meeting with Health Minister Tyler Shandro and called on Premier Jason Kenney to reverse the decision. 15-14
