By TERRY PUGH
A resolution from the City of Warman calling for changes to the Saskatchewan Ambulance Act is slated for debate at the upcoming Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention in Regina April 12-15.
The resolution advocates amendments to provincial legislation that would allow municipal fire departments to transport patients in emergency situations when no ambulance is available. It also calls for dedicated provincial funding to municipal fire departments to compensate them for costs incurred when responding to healthcare emergencies.
The resolution is one of 11 submitted by SUMA member municipalities earlier this spring that were selected by SUMA officials to make it to the floor of the convention.
Two resolutions submitted by the Village of Borden were also selected: one calling for measures aimed at retaining certified water and wastewater operators; and the other aimed at ensuring more equitable sharing of costs between small towns and surrounding rural municipalities (RMs).
The resolutions are slated to be debated and voted on by SUMA delegates during a session on Monday afternoon, April 13.
The resolution from the City of Warman notes that the Saskatchewan Ambulance Act has remained largely unchanged for decades, despite “significant advancements in healthcare delivery and substantial demographic shifts” across the province. It adds that currently, the licensing of ambulance operators and designation of service areas for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers “may limit flexibility and hinder equitable access to emergency medical services across urban and rural municipalities.”
The resolution notes that municipal fire departments are increasingly required to respond to medical emergencies, providing critical support and backstopping EMS. However, while EMS services are funded through the Saskatchewan Health Authority, fire departments receive no compensation from the provincial body for these medical responses, despite incurring significant costs in personnel, training and equipment. Fire departments are also not allowed to transfer patients in emergency situations, even in life-threatening situations when EMS ambulances are unavailable.
The resolution calls for amendments to the Ambulance Act governing licensing of ambulance operators and designation of service districts. It also advocates allowing fire departments to transport patients in emergency situations when no ambulance is available, and urges dedicated provincial funding to compensate fire departments for the costs involved.
A resolution put forward by the Village of Borden with the support of the SUMA Board of Directors notes that urban municipalities provide the majority of essential community services and recreation facilities in the province, including community halls, arenas, fire halls, parks, and libraries, that are used extensively by residents of surrounding RMs. These small towns pay the capital and operating costs of these facilities.
While the resolution concedes that RMs “often contribute” to fire protection services, the bulk of the cost, including insurance and administrative support, falls on the small town. The resolution calls for “mandatory cost-sharing agreements for essential regional emergency services such as fire response, ensuring fair proportional contribution relative to service area and population served.”
To encourage these agreements, the resolution suggests the province provide incentive programs to encourage and support collaboration on recreational and community based services and facilities.
A second resolution from the Village of Borden outlines the difficulties of recruiting, training and retaining certified water and wastewater operators. The small town pays the cost of training the employee, only to see them often leave for higher-paying positions in larger centres after they are certified. The resolution calls on the province to initiate a retention grant program to support ongoing employment of certified operators in small communities for a defined term following training. It also encourages regional cooperation among municipalities to share the employment of certified operators.
Other resolutions to be debated at the SUMA convention call on the province to provide funding:
* for small communities to cover the added costs associated with provincially-mandated online posting of municipal documents;
* for local housing authorities so they can adequately maintain housing stock, address deferred maintenance and meet increasing community demand;
* to compensate local fire departments that provide essential emergency services in responding to incidents and accidents on provincial highways.