Neguac firefighters help deliver baby when ambulance wasn't available

When paramedics were delayed getting to a call last weekend on the Acadian Peninsula, two firefighters jumped in to help a woman giving birth.

"It's special, it's quite an achievement," said Neguac Deputy Fire Chief Bernard Comeau in French in an interview with Radio-Canada.

He and his colleague Travis Strang responded to the call. Comeau said he is proud of the help they provided, but admits that this type of call is outside his professional scope — and very stressful.

"This is not the first time that we have responded to medical calls. We have the necessary training to do so, but it also requires the willingness of firefighters to respond to this type of call. It's a big responsibility."

Firefighters helping more often

Comeau said the paramedics arrived on scene about 40 minutes after the 911 call was made, and that he and his colleague worked with paramedics once they arrived to tend to the newborn. 

While he is clear to put no blame on the paramedics, Comeau said firefighters having to respond to medical calls is a growing problem.

"Someone has to do something. At the end of the day, it's the citizens who pay," Comeau said.

"The government has to ensure that the service is provided."

While firefighters have good medical training, Comeau said there's a limit to what they can do. He said they also have limited access to specialized medical equipment in their vehicles.

"One day, I would hate to see a firefighter have to respond to a medical call while there is a house burning on the other side of our district. It would be disastrous," Comeau said.

According to Ambulance New Brunswick's website, the targeted response time in rural areas is 22 minutes or less, 90 per cent of the time.

Radio-Canada asked Medavie, which manages Ambulance New Brunswick, for comment on Comeau's rescue and did not immediately receive a response.

Not a new problem, mayor says

Ambulance response times in the region are not a new problem, said Neguac Mayor Georges Savoie, who has highlighted the issue several times.

"It's not the first time. It's an old problem," Savoie said in French in an interview with Radio-Canada.

"This is another instance that confirms the problem with Ambulance N.B., which is not always present in the area."

Neguac has its own ambulance station. However, the district it covers is large and paramedics are sometimes called to other nearby areas, Savoie said.

"Our ambulance is sometimes moved to cover ambulances in Bathurst. It doesn't make sense," he said. 

"The same thing is happening everywhere in the province, ambulances are being moved because there aren't enough of them."

Savoie also doesn't blame the paramedics, but the system, adding that delays to unload patients at hospitals can also take up time.

He hopes to discuss the problem with the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission, he said. 

Last week, three associations of firefighters, municipalities and paramedics appealed to the province, demanding reform of paramedic services.

They spoke of long-standing structural problems, excessively long response times and the lack of financial resources devoted to the service in rural regions.

Premier Susan Holt said she was in favour of changing the system, but did not give any concrete solutions.

The provincial ambulance service contract is up for renewal in 2027.