Whereas BC fire rescue service departments, operating under career, composite, or volunteer models, are experiencing increased demands in emergency medical response calls while there is inadequate funding for the BC Emergency Health Services BCEHS system; And whereas the fire departments that provide these services, authorized under the Emergency Medical Assistant EMA first responder program, currently do so on a community-by-community basis creating an inconsistent provincial approach to emergency medical assistance: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM endorse and advocate to the Province for the establishment of a cohesive financial emergency medical assistant framework, with considerations for the cost of personnel, training, province-wide consistency, and the replacement of consumed supplies for fire rescue service departments, as part of advocacy for a modernized financial framework for local governments in BC.
Ministry of Health The support provided by First Responders FRs during medical emergencies is an essential part of the delivery of emergency health services to the people of British Columbia. BC Emergency Health Services BCEHS and the Province value the role that FRs play in out-of-hospital emergency care. The Ministry of Health appreciates the out-of-hospital support that the fire agencies throughout BC continue to provide. Their support during medical emergencies is an essential part of the delivery of emergency health services to people in BC. BCEHS and local governments have agreements that define the health emergency events to which community first responder agencies will respond. The agreements are completely voluntary, allowing each municipality to decide the extent of their participation and the types of calls they will respond to. This approach enables municipalities to directly manage all costs associated with their participation in out-of-hospital care. Under these agreements, BCEHS notifies the first responder agency of an emergency event, and the agency can decide whether to respond. Should a first responder agency find that the agreement they have is no longer a good fit, BCEHS will work collaboratively with them to update their agreement. The Ministry of Health has worked closely with BCEHS, fire departments and municipalities, on improving out-of-hospital care by way of a renewed First Responder Service Agreement. This document is intended to provide opportunities for BCEHS and first responder agencies to work together, offering flexibility for local governments to determine a level of response by community interest, available resources and standard of care. This document is currently in its final stages of review and approval. Since 20162017, spending on emergency health services has increased by 530.9 million, from 424.3 million in 20262017 to a final spend of 955.2 million in 20232024. This increased spending has been enabled through targeted provincial investments in increased BCEHS staffing training and mental-health support, as well as investments to improve equitable access to ambulance services across BC. Through continued and increased investment, the B.C. government is supporting BCEHS to take targeted action to improve emergency health services throughout the province. Since 2017, BCEHS has added close to 1,900 new full-time and part-time permanent paramedic positions and emergency medical responder positions. BCEHS continues to focus on building paramedic capacity in all communities throughout BC and has an active national recruitment campaign underway. These hiring efforts will continue to build paramedic capacity and help further stabilize and strengthen ambulance services in communities throughout the province.