Code Red: Alberta's paramedics union declares state of crisis due to staffing shortages
The union representing paramedics in the province says EMS services are being "stretched beyond their limits" and there are significant delays in getting ambulances to people in need.
According to the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), there were at least 135 red alerts or code reds— situations where there are no ambulances available to respond — in Alberta in the span of 50 days from late August through mid-October.
HSAA says its data was acquired directly from paramedics through its EMS Facebook page, and there were likely more red alerts during that time that went unreported.
The dearth of ambulances is due to a lack of available paramedics. HSAA claims there are currently 290 unfilled paramedic shifts in the province this week.
"We have heard reassurances the closest ambulance will be sent to people who need them," said Mike Parker, HSAA president and an advance care paramedic, in a statement. "What we aren't being told is the number of times there is no ambulance available to respond, or that when one is available it could be coming from another city or town — 30 minutes or even an hour away."
HSAA says the vast majority of the red alerts occurred in the province's two largest cities — 61 in Calgary and 35 in Edmonton — but, in total, there were 66 communities that experienced periods of no ambulances.
Of the 135 red alerts, 52 lasted for at least 30 minutes including 22 with a duration exceeding an hour.
Alberta Health Services confirms there has been a significant increase in call volumes, up 30 per cent in 2021, but a code red does not mean an ambulance will not be dispatched. According to AHS, most code reds last for only minutes are resolved as soon as crews clear calls or depart from hospitals.
AHS says it is currently offering voluntary overtime and plans are in place to hire 100 additional paramedics across the province.
The HSAA president says he is scheduled to discuss the state of emergency services in Alberta with Health Minister Jason Copping on Nov. 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.