Province making progress strengthening ambulance system. (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Backgrounders

Update on ambulance operations in B.C.

85 new paramedic positions to enhance services in some of B.C’s larger call-volume communities:

These paramedic positions will be going to stations in:

  • Vancouver (4);
  • North Vancouver (4);
  • Port Moody (8);
  • Burnaby (8);
  • Surrey (8);
  • Langley (8);
  • Richmond (8);
  • Abbotsford (8);
  • Kamloops (8); and
  • and Prince George (8);
  • plus 13 positions not assigned to specific stations that will serve metro areas.

Conversion of rural stations to full-time staffing (known as Alpha)

Starting Oct. 29, 2021, the following stations will be converted to 24/7 Alpha, meaning they will all have a complement of eight full-time paramedic positions. There will be an additional 177 positions associated with these conversions.

  • Ashcroft
  • Barriere
  • Bowser
  • Burns Lake
  • Chetwynd
  • Clearwater
  • Cumberland
  • Fernie
  • Fort Nelson
  • Fort St. James
  • Golden
  • Houston
  • Keremeos
  • Kimberley
  • Lake Cowichan
  • Lillooet
  • Peachland
  • Pemberton
  • Port McNeill
  • Princeton
  • Revelstoke
  • Sicamous
  • Tofino
  • Vanderhoof

As well, 26 smaller stations that have moved to, or will move to a Scheduled On Call staffing model are getting more permanent, regular paramedic jobs, starting on Nov. 1, 2021:

  • Alert Bay
  • Atlin
  • Bear Lake
  • Blue River
  • Cortes Island
  • Dease Lake
  • Edgewood
  • Elkford
  • Field
  • Gold Bridge
  • Granisle
  • Greenwood
  • Hudson’s Hope
  • New Denver
  • Port Alice
  • Port Clements
  • Riondel
  • Sayward
  • Seton Portage
  • Sointula
  • Southside
  • Stewart
  • Tahsis
  • Texada Island
  • Wells
  • Zeballos

BC Emergency Health Services funding:

  • The average spending increase for BCEHS over the past four years has been 7.95% annually – from $424.25 million to $559.141 million. This is over double the percentage from the previous four years.
  • In contrast, the average spending percentage increase in the four years before that was less than half that – 3.65% annually – from $379.77 million to $424.25 million.