EMS motion defeat disappointing: Mayor

By Lethbridge Herald on March 16, 2021.

Tim Kalinowski
Lethbridge Herald
tkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman said he, like his colleagues in Red Deer, the RM of Wood Buffalo and Calgary, is disappointed the provincial government chose on Monday to defeat a motion brought forward to the Legislature which would have reversed an AHS decision on EMS integrated dispatch, and returned local dispatch control to the four cities.
“We were hoping this would be a free vote, and we saw it as a non-partisan issue,” he said. “We thought every member of the legislature would be interested in the importance of community safety, and preserving the effectiveness of emergency services. All four of our communities have submitted detailed technical briefings on the shortcomings since we have gone to a consolidated EMS dispatch service. And we are concerned that, ultimately, delays and the reduction of service will cost a life at some point.”
Spearman conceded had local UCP MLAs been allowed to vote against the decision of their own Minister of Health Tyler Shandro it likely would have looked bad for the government.
“It’s the dilemma MLAs have,” stated Spearman.
“Are they there to represent their communities? Or there to represent the government to us? We hope when it comes to the delivery of life and death services that our MLAs will stand up for their constituents.”
Spearman said beyond the defeat of the legislative motion on Monday all arguments have been heard in Wood Buffalo’s court case against the province, and the final court decision has been delayed, with the consent of both sides, until May to allow the parties to work through their differences.
Spearman said the promised meetings between Shandro and community representatives haven’t occurred yet, but AHS has set up meetings with the cities’ fire chiefs to address ongoing dispatch concerns.
“Meetings are scheduled,” he stated, “but I don’t think any things of substance have been discussed yet. They involve the fire chiefs of each community discussing with Alberta Health Services on how to improve the issues they (AHS) say don’t exist.”
As things unfold, Spearman urged local residents to keep making their voices heard to local MLAs and the Premier.
“I would say to our constituents this type of service is one you may only require once in your life, or your loved ones may only require once, but when you actually need it you want the quickest and most effective service,” he stated.
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