There's Local Concern About Changes To Ambulance Dispatch Services
LETHBRIDGE - The Manager of the Public Safety Communication Centre in
Lethbridge is disappointed the province is moving ahead with consolidating
ambulance dispatch services.
Currently, the Lethbridge Public Safety
Communication Centre handles emergency dispatch for police, fire and ambulance
services in Lethbridge, but after this change recommended by the Health Quality
Council of Alberta, calls received for ambulance service will be directed to a
provincial ambulance dispatch centre in Calgary.
Manager Chris Kearns
does have concerns with the new plan and feels the City could have a better
handle on the situation, saying "we've been doing it for a long time in this
region, we're very familiar with it. There's a lot to be said for multiple
response dispatch, the fact that when somebody calls 9-1-1 and we can take their
information down and at the same time as we're on the phone with them dispatch
police, fire and ambulance, that means a lot to our citizens, it's much faster
response, this model is not going to work quite as well as a result of this."
Fire Chief Brian Cornforth says this will create alot of challenges for them
and they need to make sure that communication links that have been created are
in place to make sure information is not lost. Posted on Friday, March 08, 2013 at 5/23/2013 2:00:55 PM
Source: Tristan Tuckett - Country 95 News
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