WHEREAS the number of First Responder or Medical Emergency Service Alarm MESA calls that the City of Langley respond to represents 75 percent of all calls received by the Langley City Fire Rescue Service LCFRS; AND WHEREAS the City of Langley and other local governments incur significant direct costs as a result of responding to MESA calls to compliment the services provided by BC Ambulance Service BCAS; AND WHEREAS the intermediate patient care provided by first responders can greatly enhance patient outcomes and significantly reduce short term and long term costs to the overall health care system and the City of Langley acknowledges the community will benefit from the LCFRS supporting BCAS to provide first responder services to the patient while the ambulance is on route: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of BC work with UBCM to develop a fair and equitable cost recovery model to compensate local governments for responding to Medical Emergency Service Alarm calls.
Ministry of Health Provision of pre-hospital emergency health services in BC is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Emergency Health Services Commission EHSC. Municipal First Responder agencies may choose to supplement the EHSC in the provision of pre-hospital care provided the municipalities have the consent of the EHSC. There is no requirement that municipal First Responder agencies including the Langley City Fire Rescue Service respond to medical emergencies. Participation in the First Responder program is voluntary and each municipality determines the extent of their participation in this program. The Province will not develop a cost recovery model to compensate local governments for responding to medical emergencies. All First Responder program participants including the City of Langley already possess the ability to directly manage all costs associated with their participation in the First Responder program. The Province values the role that First Responders play in pre-hospital emergency care. Municipalities that volunteer to participate in the First Responder program can reduce the volume of calls they respond to by choosing to respond only to serious medical emergencies as defined by the BC Ambulance Service Resource Allocation Plan RAP that has been developed with input from fire personnel.