NDP add 22 new paramedic positions

[Urban Cowboy]

OMG, how dare the NDP waste money and resources to add 16 permanent full-time paramedic positions have been added to Kelowna and four positions in West Kelowna and two in Lake Country!
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#236748

I cant wait for the BC Lieberal sycophants to loudly denounce this measure!

The responses on here have proven you completely wrong. Adding the paramedic positions seems like a good move to me.

It is a good move. It's just not one that originated within the NDP brain trust.

All I keep seeing the NDP do is reallocate credit for such things to themselves, no doubt banking on voters to have short memories.

[alanjh595]

Are the paramedics unionized?

Did that union contribute to the NDP election fund?

[JagXKR]

Urbane wrote:

doesn't mean that the present government can't do something positive now and again.

They certainly can do good things. As long as they follow the previous government's already announced plans like Site C, increased paramedics or minimum wage. Or utilize the massive surplus ($2.7 Billion) from the previous government. Even a complete idiot like Horgan can do wonderful things with that kind of money and prudent planning from the Liberals.

[rustled]

Regardless of which party deserves the credit, I'll be holding off on the celebrating these announcements until these positions are filled without siphoning needed paramedics from other parts of the province.

I suspect this will, unfortunately, prove no different than the positions created for specialist teachers, French teachers, daycare workers, and other health care professionals: difficult to recruit for, with negative consequences for many areas of the province.

[alanjh595]

Regardless of which party deserves the credit, I'll be holding off on the celebrating these announcements until these positions are filled without siphoning needed paramedics from other parts of the province.

I suspect this will, unfortunately, prove no different than the positions created for specialist teachers, French teachers, daycare workers, and other health care professionals: difficult to recruit for, with negative consequences for many areas of the province.

I agree and I hope that you are right.

[Urbane]

Regardless of which party deserves the credit, I'll be holding off on the celebrating these announcements until these positions are filled without siphoning needed paramedics from other parts of the province.

I suspect this will, unfortunately, prove no different than the positions created for specialist teachers, French teachers, daycare workers, and other health care professionals: difficult to recruit for, with negative consequences for many areas of the province.

That's certainly a good point. I wonder if Adrian Dix has been asked about that.

[Gone_Fishin]

Regardless of which party deserves the credit, I'll be holding off on the celebrating these announcements until these positions are filled without siphoning needed paramedics from other parts of the province.

I suspect this will, unfortunately, prove no different than the positions created for specialist teachers, French teachers, daycare workers, and other health care professionals: difficult to recruit for, with negative consequences for many areas of the province.

That's certainly a good point. I wonder if Adrian Dix has been asked about that.

Dix will produce a back-dated memo showing how the jobs were filled.

[csm]

It sounds wonderful, provided we aren't creating more of a problem elsewhere. Does anyone know, do we have enough paramedics to fill these positions without drawing them in from the rural areas, leaving them short? Or if they've found a way to properly compensate the on-call paramedics?

Cameron Eby with the Ambulance Paramedics of BC explains the downfalls of the on-call system here: https://www.citynews1130.com/2017/12/22 ... ait-times/
and:

Another obstacle he points to is trying to recruit paramedics to remote regions where the pay isn’t great and many don’t want to live there.

That is exactly what has been happening under the current system for years already.

Kelowna Crews have been maxed out for a long long time, and if they can't get a unit to a call, they bring in West Kelowna, Winfield, Peachland, and yes, even Vernon, and it's a domino effect that can cause huge delays in responding to emergencies within not only Kelowna, but other area's as well.

The whole Okanagan hasn't had a staffing increase in the 19+ years that I've lived here. but the call volume has climbed to a level that the Kelowna Units are maxed out and the crews are rarely able to even get back to quarters to grab lunch, or go to the bathroom, or even restock and clean their units, not to mention trying to recover themselves from a horrific call they may have just finished.

It is not only hard on the crews, it's unsafe, and you see increased WCB, Sick Time and burnouts as a result.

It is a very challenging job, mentally and physically, and every day a Paramedic goes to work, they have to deal with other people's nightmares, and on occasion, even their own.

Ambulances are not band aid boxes - they are Emergency Rooms on wheels, and what can be accomplished out there on the street not only saves people's lives, but also has an impact on their long-term recovery which saves the health care system a great deal of money actually. So you can imagine how frustrating it is to be dragged into the Hospital to watch stable patients in hallways which puts even more load on the resources left out there. ( this has been greatly improved in recent months ).

Paramedics, even at the basic level, are educated and trained to a very high level, and able to initiate IV's and give several medications on site, and without Dr. Consultation, and are actually licensed medical practitioners, not basic First Aid attendants, although that is a requirement to even get training to the PCP level.

Advanced Life Support Units are trained even higher and reserved to respond to the highest acuity calls, requiring specialized equipment and knowledge to intervene in most life-threatening or life-altering situations, and on most critical calls, the BLS and ALS crews work seamlessly together for the best outcome of the patient.

Paramedics get paid ok, but they are the lowest paid of all the Emergency Services ( at the basic paramedic level ), and even many first aiders in the private sector, yet have huge responsibility and are exposed to every danger and hazard other agencies are as well. More so, actually, because these hazards can appear unexpectedly and they don't carry equipment to deal them.

However to do this job isn't always about the money, it's a calling, and I have been involved for almost 44 years, and although I'm now retired, I continue to work part-time because I still find satisfaction in helping those in need and being able to make a difference using my skills and experience.

Paramedics have always had the respect of the people, and now I can see that they are also starting to get the same from their employers.

Finally at long last - a light at the end of a long dark era in EMS.

[rustled]

^^This is all quite true, but it does not address my concern.

Are there enough paramedics in the Okanagan to fill these positions, or will paramedics working in less desirable parts of the province leave those areas to fill these positions?

Are there enough paramedics in the province to fill the vacated positions in less-desirable areas?

Most remote areas rely on on-call paramedics. Has the government been able to address the way on-call paramedics are paid?

If not, this is worse than a feel-good announcement. It will have serious repercussions for already under-served areas. So before I celebrate, I'm asking: are the ducks in a row?

[rustled]

Dix will produce a back-dated memo showing how the jobs were filled.

^^LOL.
I am hoping this time, the homework was properly done.

[csm]

^^This is all quite true, but it does not address my concern.

Are there enough paramedics in the Okanagan to fill these positions, or will paramedics working in less desirable parts of the province leave those areas to fill these positions?

Are there enough paramedics in the province to fill the vacated positions in less-desirable areas?

Most remote areas rely on on-call paramedics. Has the government been able to address the way on-call paramedics are paid?

If not, this is worse than a feel-good announcement. It will have serious repercussions for already under-served areas. So before I celebrate, I'm asking: are the ducks in a row?

First of all, we are talking only 22 positions, not hundreds. Also ( unless the collective agreement has been changed since ), several of those positions will be filled from those already full time and likely part-time personnel already in the Okanagan who are already attached to those affected stations or posts.

These positions will likely be filled by the current part-time staff in the affected post and the positions will be filled by full-time on a gradual basis so as not to negatively impact staffing levels elsewhere.

Bottom line - don't worry - the people in charge are well aware of how to accomplish these goals - that's what they do.

[rustled]

That's 22 for the Central Okanagan alone. There was a similar announcement yesterday for the Kamloops region (18 + 3 for Chase) and I doubt that will be the last.

“We expect most hirings to be internal, people that are not yet in full-time positions now but in the system,” explained Dix.
https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/21-n ... -interior/

I'd like to see the homework.

[csm]

Are these entitled, unionized jobs? Ones that have lavish health benefits? Sick leave? Gold-plated pensions?

Are the paramedics unionized?

Did that union contribute to the NDP election fund?

Yes, they are Unionized, and Not that I'm aware of.

Besides, the Fire Department unionized, and they make more than a paramedic, yet Work safe stats have shown a paramedic is at higher risk and have had more in the line of duty deaths and injury than any other emergency worker in the Province, yet are paid the lowest.

Take your union bashing elsewhere. If it weren't for unions, we would have no (shrinking) middle class, no socialized health care, poor education, no mandatory holiday pay, and all be renters of the ELITE.

If you want to blame someone, blame the one's who created the unions in the first place - THE EMPLOYERS!!

Also take note - the Middle Class is shrinking. Could this be due to the fact Unions do not have the power they once had?

That should make you delighted to return to the 12 - 14 hour sweatshop days, poor and unsafe working conditions, no CPP, no OAP, no Socialized Medicine, no holidays and "2 classes - rich and poor.

[common_sense_guy]

Well I'm sure those paramedics are going to go to Great use saving all the drug addicts that are trying to die anyway for the most part

[csm]

That's 22 for the Central Okanagan alone. There was a similar announcement yesterday for the Kamloops region (18 + 3 for Chase) and I doubt that will be the last.

“We expect most hirings to be internal, people that are not yet in full-time positions now but in the system,” explained Dix.
https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/21-n ... -interior/

I'd like to see the homework.

Guess it's ok to hire 12 more Firefighters, and add a 5th fire hall that is solely at the expense of the home owner because of all the medical first response calls that are happening.

That the city of Delta's fire service is 33% of their total budget, and climbing and NOT paid for by the province, but the home and business owners.

Bottom line is, try walking a mile in someone else's shoes before you spout off about something you know totally nothing about.