2024 R28 – Provincial Cost Recovery for Emergency Medical Services Provided by Fire Departments

Whereas BC fire rescue service departments, operating under career, composite, or volunteer models, are experiencing increased demands in emergency medical response calls while there is inadequate funding for the BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) system;

And whereas the fire departments that provide these services, authorized under the Emergency Medical Assistant (EMA) first responder program, currently do so on a community-by-community basis creating an inconsistent provincial approach to emergency medical assistance:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM endorse and advocate to the Province for the establishment of a cohesive financial emergency medical assistant framework, with considerations for the cost of personnel, training, province-wide consistency, and the replacement of consumed supplies for fire rescue service departments, as part of advocacy for a modernized financial framework for local governments in BC.