911 dispatch needs to be changed, Calgary fire chief says
![Calgary fire chief says EMS dispatch system broken Chief Steve Dongworth of the Calgary Fire Department is the latest official to formally protest the UCP government's move to a centralized EMS dispatch system.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2022/12/19/calgary-fire-chief-says-ems-dispatch-system-broken-1-6201540-1671494566989.jpg)
The head of Calgary's fire department is formally adding his voice to a movement to change Alberta's emergency dispatch system.
In a year-end interview, Chief Steve Dongworth says he continues to see mistakes being made by the current consolidated dispatch system.
In 2020, Alberta Health Services, under the direction of the UCP government, announced it would be handling 911 calls in Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Wood Buffalo in one of three existing dispatch centres.
Many municipal leaders and first responders felt the move was a mistake – something that would lead to longer wait times and "negative patient outcomes."
Dongworth agreed with those statements.
"That's been a bit of an ongoing challenge for us," he told CTV News on Monday. "I'm not sure how we fix it, you know, there has to be a will to fix it.
"I think, ultimately, the best way to fix it is to move it back into a consolidated centre where they literally sit alongside police and fire dispatchers and call takers and can resolve problems on the spot, in a very immediate sense, as opposed to it being a phone call away and just much more challenging."
Dongworth says the previous system was built on co-ordination between first responders.
"When all the three services were together ... people could just walk across and talk to someone about a challenge that they're potentially having with a call."
During last month's budget talks, Dongworth admitted that firefighters are being sent to medical calls in the place of EMS and that's part of the reason he wants to see more funding for the department to help with staffing.
In June, Mayor Jyoti Gondek placed blame for the death of a senior squarely on Alberta's consolidated dispatch system.
"They need to go back to the system that existed that was world-class. We need to go back to it or we will lose more lives," she said.
When it was introduced, the UCP government said the new system would save the province approximately $6 million per year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968271.1721298812!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Former safety minister wants 'protective zones' for MPs' offices as threats increase
Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is calling for the creation of 'protective zones' around political constituency offices to shield members of Parliament and their staff from a rising tide of threatening behaviour.
Vance's night but Trump's party, Jan. 6 curtain call, Trump health still under wraps: RNC Takeaways
Republicans welcomed JD Vance as Donald Trump's running mate on the same night devoted to blasting U.S. President Joe Biden's leadership on the world stage. Here are some takeaways from Day 3 of the RNC.
Two deaths in listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based milk recall
Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.
Mississauga, Ont., nursing home evacuated of more than 100 residents amid flooding
First responders say it took nearly 12 hours to rescue more than 100 residents from a flooded Mississauga, Ont., long-term care home after torrential rain pummelled the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday.
John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events, distances from inclusion efforts
Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor 'social or cultural awareness' events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
Rare photos reveal uncontacted tribe in Peruvian Amazon as loggers move in
Rare images of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, were published on Tuesday by Survival International,
NEW 'No more barriers in CAF' as Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan to be officially named head of military
Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan will become the first female to lead the Canadian Armed Forces following a ceremony in Ottawa today.
Teens could face charges after homes damaged in 'ding dong ditch' pranks, B.C. RCMP say
Authorities are asking parents to speak with their teenagers following a "frenzy" of recent door-knock pranks in Surrey, B.C., that have escalated into property damage.
JD Vance introduces himself as Trump's running mate and makes direct appeal to his native Rust Belt
Introducing himself to the nation after being tapped as Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance used his Wednesday night address to the Republican National Convention to share the story of his hardscrabble upbringing and make the case that his party best understands the challenges facing struggling Americans.