Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes (Photo courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Scott Roblin

EMS Dispatch

MLA Barnes opposing UCP’s plan to centralize EMS dispatch

Aug 11, 2020 | 3:00 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes is speaking out against his party’s recent decision to centralize EMS dispatch services in four Alberta communities.

Last week, the UCP government announced that they would be consolidating dispatch services for EMS in Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer, and Wood Buffalo to three provincial call centres.

It’s an idea which Barnes fought against often as part of the opposition and isn’t planning on changing his tune.

“A local dispatcher can see what professionals are available, what equipment is available,” said Barnes. “A local dispatcher knows all the local nuances, where Scholten Hill is and all those things as an example. Secondly, centralization where we’ve seen it in so many things in health care, it hasn’t worked, it’s hasn’t delivered better services, and it hasn’t saved any money.”

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The province says this move to consolidate EMS dispatch will save $6 million annually, however Barnes has his doubts about that.

“When I was in opposition I was against this centralization. I believe in local decision making and I would challenge the government to prove that it saves any money, never mind $6 million. We’ve seen a lot of times where that transparency is hard to see.”

The recommendation to centralize these services was born out of last year’s Ernst and Young AHS review with the transition expected to take six months.

Medicine Hat had already had its EMS dispatch coordinated out of the city by the province, with the four regions affected by last week’s announcement being separate from AHS’s dispatch system since 2009.

“You look at the Medicine Hat example with health care where everything is centralized in Edmonton and now centralized out of Lethbridge,” said Barnes. “It’s harder and harder for our good people to make the correct decisions.”

According to the UCP government, the transition will only affect EMS 911 dispatch services with all local municipalities still covering their own municipal police, fire, and medical calls.

Barnes added he wasn’t concerned about speaking out on the UCP’s decision on centralization.

Mayors of all four municipalities have requested meetings with Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro to discuss their concerns, something that Barnes is in favour of.

“The NDP wasn’t able to do it when they were in government,” said Barnes. “I hope that the health minister, the premier, and the cabinet will listen to what people outside of Calgary and Edmonton are saying, and how this could greatly affect services and people’s lives.”