AHS working with volunteers

We’d like to share some additional information regarding concerns related to EMS ground ambulance delivery in Vauxhall and the surrounding community and reassure residents if they require an ambulance, it will be available to them.

Unfortunately four volunteers including one EMT resigned last March. Although we were disappointed to lose valuable trained volunteers we respect their decisions and it’s been our goal to get back to pre-March 15th volunteer levels as quickly as possible.

Since March 15th, AHS has placed a paramedic into the community Monday through Friday to help us maintain as much EMS coverage as possible. With the addition of the paramedic and with the current volunteers, we’ve provided dedicated EMS coverage 98 per cent of the time.

To increase the number of EMTs in Vauxhall, we have an EMT training course starting in the fall and expect to have at least four local volunteers participate in that training. We appreciate their interest in taking the additional training. This will give us the ability to schedule 24-7 EMTs to support Basic Life Support (BLS). We also have two newly designated EMR volunteers that started last week, and two others that will write their provincial exam soon and will be ready for active duty in September. Again, we really appreciate their interest and commitment.

 We set a goal to preserve the service levels for EMS in your community and we fully expect to meet that goal with the actions we have taken and support from volunteers in your community. We value and appreciate all our EMS volunteers and will continue to work with them directly to maintain high quality service.

Sean Chilton, senior vice-president AHS South Zone

Dr. Vanessa Maclean, medical director AHS South Zone

Sandy Halldorson, executive director EMS AHS South Zone