By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On 11 days this summer and early fall, Quadra Island had no local paramedics available for emergency medical calls, data from the emergency respondersB次元官网网址� union shows.

The ferry-dependent community of 2,700 residents has acute staff shortages, as do many rural communities in B.C. On Quadra, three of four permanent part-time paramedic positions are vacant, Cindy Leong, a spokesperson for BC Emergency Health Services, wrote in an email.

There is one ambulance on Quadra and it takes two paramedics to staff it B次元官网网址� one to drive, the other to care for a patient. But BC EHS has been relying on the volunteer fire department to drive the ambulance when no staff or only a single paramedic is available.

Volunteer firefighters were called out 18 times to drive the ambulance from May 1 to mid-October B次元官网网址� to assist a single paramedic or pick up a Campbell River ambulance crew arriving by water taxi, union statistics showed. The union provided CanadaB次元官网网址檚 National Observer with specific dates, staffing level gaps and the number of times the firefighters drove ambulances.

The numbers reflect rough estimates by the islandB次元官网网址檚 fire department, said Quadra Fire Chief Sharon Clandening, who said Quadra was left without any paramedics seven times in the months of June and July alone.

BC EHS statistics were lower, noting only three instances between May 1 and Sept. 6 when no paramedics were available locally, Leong said. However, Leong did not supply exact dates.

Clandening said any time the island is left with no local paramedics, response times go up, putting peopleB次元官网网址檚 safety at risk.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a broken system that needs to be fixed,B次元官网网址� Clandening said.

The concern is greatest at night when the ferry doesnB次元官网网址檛 run and people have to wait for air transport or for Campbell River paramedics to arrive by boat, which can take up to three hours, she said.

Serious gaps in ambulance service are likely to continue in rural and remote communities such as Quadra if the province continues to use its scheduled on-call (SOC) staffing model, said Stuart Myers, the unionB次元官网网址檚 regional vice-president.

The staffing system developed for rural and remote communities in 2019 makes it extremely difficult to attract staff, Myers said.

Under the SOC system, paramedics are scheduled to work an eight-hour shift, but must remain on call for a further 16 hours B次元官网网址� for a total of 24 hours daily over a three-day rotation.

While on call, paramedics only receive $2 an hour. The net effect is they are tied up for a full three days but are paid full wages for only one unless they respond to an emergency while on call.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen a (negative) change in staffing levels since implementation of the SOC model,B次元官网网址� Myers said, adding the province needs to provide regular full-time work and pay competitive wages.

BC EHS hasnB次元官网网址檛 clarified if a plan or measures are in the works to address ambulance response gaps on Quadra, which also includes concerns about getting patients off-island outside of scheduled ferry service.

No one from the BC EHS has been available for interviews despite multiple requests starting in May by CanadaB次元官网网址檚 National Observer.

There are six casual on-call paramedics on Quadra who assist in staffing the islandB次元官网网址檚 ambulance, and Campbell River paramedics provide coverage when local staff are unavailable, Leong said in an email.

On-call paramedics, who typically have other steady jobs, arenB次元官网网址檛 always available to cover extensive staff shortages, Myers said.

BC EHS is making every effort to recruit for open positions, Leong said.

Paramedics are currently bargaining with the province now that their collective agreement is up, said union president Troy Clifford.

The SOC staffing model and a 30 per cent plus disparity in wages between paramedics and other first responders such as police or professional firefighters are central negotiation topics, Clifford said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e notified the employer that we expect, because it hasnB次元官网网址檛 met objectives, that SOC should be phased out,B次元官网网址� Clifford said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be looking for a new model thatB次元官网网址檚 more compensation-based and meets the needs of those communities,B次元官网网址� Clifford said.

The province typically justifies the SOC staff model in rural communities B次元官网网址� as opposed to full-time staffing for the 24/7 coverage provided in urban areas B次元官网网址� because of lower call volumes, Myers said.

B次元官网网址淏ut you know, the question for me has always been, B次元官网网址榃hy donB次元官网网址檛 the people of Quadra deserve that same level of care?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

-Rochelle Baker / Local Journalism Initiative / CanadaB次元官网网址檚 National Observer

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