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Paramedics from Unifor Local 302 submitted a deputation in front of the Council of Elgin County on January 14, 2020, sounding the alarm bell on the need for enhanced ambulance services for residents.
The call for increased ambulance services comes at a time where the capacity for Emergency Medical Services in the county simply cannot meet the needs of the community. Service levels have remained stagnant over the last decade, while the county’s population has continued to grow and the demand has increased.
That means the system now can not handle the call volumes for medical emergencies on a regular basis, putting residents at risk due to the lengthy ambulance wait times and delays in treating those in need. Paramedics have seen first-hand that this under- servicing has created uncertainty, and puts lives at risk.
In order to meet the needs of Elgin County and of St. Thomas residents, Unifor is calling on the Council of Elgin County to develop a concrete plan for EMS going forward, and conduct an immediate review of call volumes. The union is also asking the council to immediately increase capacity by adding 36 hours of ambulance transport capacity to the system.
Elgin-St.Thomas EMS paramedics are dedicated to providing the best services for residents to ensure that someone is experiencing a medical emergency, they are safely and quickly transported to the hospital for care.
