Houston must take action to help 911 operators, paramedics

Halifax— The NSNDP is calling on the Houston government to address paramedic and ambulance dispatchers’ concerns and improve working conditions. Recent significant changes to Nova Scotia’s 911 dispatch system were announced to include non-paramedic dispatchers. This decision was made without input from paramedics or their union.

“The decision to replace trained and experienced paramedics for incoming emergency calls is short-sighted and ultimately puts the public at greater risk. Since ambulatory services were centralized and operated by the provincial government over 20 years ago, the Emergency Medical Care Communications Centre has utilized the unique skills and training of paramedics to answer the hundreds of thousands of emergency calls every year. Instead of looking for real solutions to the staffing shortages facing the industry, the Houston government and Emergency Medical Care Inc. have chosen to lower the standards of care it provides to Nova Scotians. With ever-increasing ambulance wait times, having a trained and experienced paramedic on the line is invaluable,” said Jeff Callaghan, National Director for CUPW, the union that represents 911 call-takers, dispatchers and administrators in Nova Scotia.

“CUPW is greatly concerned about the trend of deskilling the Communications Centre in Dartmouth and demands the government rescind its decision to replace paramedics there. The workers at EMC Inc. and all Nova Scotians expect and deserve real solutions that do not mean providing less.”

For years IUOE 727, the union that represents paramedics, has run #CodeCritical – a social media campaign that tracks the shortage of ambulances available at any given time on Nova Scotia’s roads. In just the first two months of this year, over 330 #CodeCrticals were reported by the union. A shortage of available paramedics and backlogs at hospitals across the province has made this a chronic issue.

Today, the NSNDP will table theCode Critical Act which will require the government to collect and report regularly on key measures of the EHS system, developed with input from IUOE Local 727. If passed, the law would significantly improve government transparency when it comes to emergency services.

“We know ambulance and emergency services are the canaries in the coal mine. When we see these issues they must be urgently addressed to ensure people get the care they need,” said NDP Health and Wellness spokesperson Susan Leblanc. "Paramedics have been very clear about what they need and that includes wages that are competitive with the rest of Canada. As an opposition MLA Mr. Houston said we have to listen to and respect what frontline workers are telling us. In spite of this, we have not seen any action on this front and paramedics, and the EHS system seem to be at a breaking point."

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