(Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Alberta Ombudsman receives complaints about EMS dispatch consolidation from mayors

Oct 13, 2021 | 12:00 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Four Albertan cities have appealed to a high-ranking provincial authority over the consolidation of 911 EMS dispatch services.

Last August, AHS announced that the municipally-run contracted satellite dispatch sites in Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer, and Wood Buffalo would be transitioned into one of three existing AHS EMS dispatch centres. Consolidation officially took place early this year.

READ MORE: Province consolidating 911 EMS dispatch services, impacting Lethbridge

Now, official complaints have been received by the Alberta Ombudsman from the municipal councils of those four communities.

READ MORE: City sending complaint to ombudsman about EMS dispatch consolidation

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The rationale from AHS was that this step would save the provincial government upwards of $6-million per year by eliminating inefficiencies.

The mayors, however, maintain that the costs have merely been downloaded onto them. Councils in Lethbridge, Red Deer, and Wood Buffalo even offered to pay $1.2-million each to prevent consolidation from happening.

READ MORE: Council opts to pay for EMS dispatch in Lethbridge

In a joint media release from the impacted communities, they say consolidation has also resulted in increased risk to patients requiring ambulances as response times have slowed.

“It has been over a year since the decision was made to consolidate ambulance dispatch and myself, along with my fellow Mayors of Red Deer, Calgary and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo are still sounding the alarm,” said Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman.

“This is an alarm that our Provincial Government and AHS are still not listening to. Our decision to file a complaint with the Alberta Ombudsman is the step I hope will finally amplify our serious concerns and make patient safety a priority for our communities.”

Tara Veer, Mayor of Red Deer, adds that filing the complaint with the Ombudsman sends the message that they have exhausted every avenue possible to revisit the government’s decision. She hopes that, by doing this, the Ombudsman will review the matter fully.

The mayors are inviting all Albertans who experienced delays or degradation of service to share their stories with the Government of Alberta and call on Premier Jason Kenney to reverse the decision on consolidation.

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