Norm Macdonald MLA                                              Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

September 4, 2009

Paramedics’ critical services continue to be under threat

VICTORIA – In a moment of crisis, when we call on the services of a paramedic, we simply expect that they will quickly arrive and assist us, but the provincial government’s continued lack of respect of this vital profession is putting quality service at risk, says Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald.

BC Ambulance Paramedics have been on strike since April 1st, 2009 in an effort to improve working conditions and increase the likelihood that more people will choose to join the profession. 

“Too often I hear stories of rural paramedics choosing to move to the lower mainland to work or leaving the profession altogether and this can make it very difficult to get highly trained paramedics to fill the shifts at rural stations,” said Macdonald.

“With a very low on-call and stand-by rate of pay, it just doesn’t make economic sense for trained paramedics to work in rural communities.”

But it isn’t just the pay structure that is affecting working conditions.  Some ambulance station facilities in this area have proven to be sub-standard with both Golden and Revelstoke paramedics currently working from temporary accommodations.

“Right now Golden paramedics are based in a hotel room because of unsafe working conditions at the Golden ambulance station.  In Revelstoke, paramedics have been moved from location to location while one promise after another is broken about when a new ambulance station will be built.”

Revelstoke City Council has received word that there will be yet another delay in the building of the often promised Revelstoke ambulance station.

“It is clear that this government doesn’t care about protecting emergency services in rural British Columbia, and doesn’t respect the workers who provide these vital services. 

“In fact, Premier Campbell during the election showed his true colours when rather than communicating respectfully with a striking paramedic he tossed a loonie at him and said ‘don’t spend it all in one place’.”

Macdonald is calling on the provincial government to appoint an independent arbitrator to quickly resolve this dispute.

“Paramedics deserve our respect for the difficult work they do, and we must demand that our government also treat them with respect.”