Souris firefighters feeling the strain as medical calls jump

Firefighters in Souris say they're responding to a lot more medical calls because locally based paramedics can't handle the volume, and it's straining the northeastern P.E.I. town's resources. 

Three years ago, the fire department responded to only a dozen medical first responder calls. So far this year, that number has increased to 43 with 10 weeks still left in the year. 

Fire Chief Donnie Aitken says a fast-growing population and an increasing number of senior residents in the area add up to more medical calls.

But he says the volunteer fire department is picking up a lot more of the work because the paramedics at Island EMS can't keep up with the calls. 

"They are going full-tilt themselves, I know that, and they can't respond to every call, so they are relying on us to respond to the calls that they can't get to," said Aitken, a retired paramedic who has volunteered with the fire department for 32 years. 

As well, he said the fire department is going through a lot of medical supplies, which it has to fundraise for.

"It has an impact on everything… We get a stipend for our calls so it's costing the town more," said Aitken.

"Plus, since we are a volunteer fire department, all our members work, so if they get a call, they have to drop everything they are doing at work, run down to here, hop in the unit, go do the call. 

"It could be 20 minutes. It could be a half an hour. It could be an hour. It could be two hours. Then go back to work. Some bosses are getting a little upset with employees being gone for so long on calls — and it also puts a drain on the firefighters."

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Aitken says 14 of the Souris Fire Department's 30 firefighters are trained to respond to medical calls, and two of the volunteer firefighters are themselves paramedics. 

The paramedics' base is located almost next door to the fire hall. 

'It's a strain on them'

Souris Mayor Jo Anne Dunphy said the increased pressure on volunteer firefighters is tied in with the lack of health-care services in the Eastern Kings region. 

The local hospital's emergency department closed in 2009. Hours have been cut back at the nearest emergency department, at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague. And neither Souris nor Montague has a walk-in clinic. 

"It's a strain on them," Dunphy said, speaking of her town's firefighters. "They can only do so much." 

Dunphy sent a letter to Health Minister Mark McLane three weeks ago, expressing her "deep concern" that local people have suffered because of the lack of health-care services.

She wants to see 24/7 emergency services restored in Montague, a 35-minute drive away from her town. 

MLA echoes concerns

Souris-Elmira Progressive Conservative MLA Robin Croucher is a paramedic as well as a captain with the Souris Fire Department. 

He too wants to see emergency services restored at Kings County Memorial Hospital, as well as more paramedics on the road in general. 

"That will keep the ambulance in Souris more often and reduce the need for firefighters to respond to these calls [when] the ambulances are out of the area," said Croucher.    

'Health care here is horrible'

People in the area told CBC News they're worried about the state of local medical care.

Lynne Shields of Souris said it would take pressure off both paramedics and firefighters if the town had a walk-in clinic. Without one, she has to travel all the way to Charlottetown, with no guarantee of care when she gets there.

We have to wait hours to get ambulances. We have to wait weeks to get appointments with doctors.— Bonnie Bertelsen

"I have to get on a bus at 6:15 in the morning and take a day off of work to go in to a walk-in clinic," she said.

"The last three times I've been in a walk-in clinic… they were overbooked. So I got there and they couldn't see me anyway." 

Billy Gillam of Souris agreed it's hard to get treatment. 

"Health care here is horrible," said Gillam. "We need more paramedics and we need more doctors and nurses." 

Bonnie Bertelsen of Souris said she's worried about whether she'd get the care she needs.

"We have to wait hours to get ambulances. We have to wait weeks to get appointments with doctors. Try[ing] to get, like, a test for anything is almost impossible," she said. 

The Department of Health does offer some financial help to fire departments to cover the costs of training.

Island EMS says that when calls come in, the service determines the level of urgency and ensure ambulances are deployed as quickly as possible. It says its average response time on the Island is 13 minutes.

'Could cost somebody their life'

Aitken said the fire department needs more medical training. He also wants Island EMS and the province to pick up some of the costs for medical supplies.

If the medical help is not there for them, their time is limited at that point.— Fire Chief Donnie Aitken

He said he worries what will happen if the situation isn't addressed.

"It ultimately could cost somebody their life — especially if it was a motor vehicle accident or if there is a major house fire or even if somebody takes a cardiac arrest.

"If the medical help is not there for them, their time is limited at that point."