Officials are looking to get the go-ahead to implement short-term solutions when it comes to Superior North EMS (SNEMS) services.
General Manager Karen Lewis and SNEMS Chief Wayne Gates will be in front of council Monday night looking for their thumbs up to consolidate bases in Nipigon and Red Rock as well as in Schreiber and Terrace Bay.
There are also suggestions to re-deploy ambulances in Beardmore as struggles continue for paramedic staffing.
“We really need to see what we can do to create a better environment for our paramedics to work in as well as reduce some of the stress that they are going through,” Gates noted. “With the current system, these crews work twelve-hour days and then they carry a pager at night, so they’re not really getting any downtime. We’re hoping that through this process, we’ll actually be able to give a bit more downtime to our paramedics and improve the level of service that’s being provided to the communities.”
Related: The Superior North EMS 2021 to 2030 Master Work Plan (begins on page 167)
Gates also added, “You take places like Terrace Bay and Schreiber, which currently each have their own ambulance. What happens if multiple calls come in with only one ambulance servicing both communities? When looking at the data, occurrences are pretty rare where more than one ambulance is required. We also examined response times, and after looking at the data available, we honestly believe that there will not be any negative impact on that in Terrace Bay and Schreiber as well as in Nipigon or Red Rock.”
The motion also calls for continued advocation to the Province for increased and continued North Shore Non-Urgent Transportation to enhance schedules and hours.