The Chief of the Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services wants to clarity comments made by the organization’s union in a social media post and subsequent media coverage recently.
Carl Bowker told Hastings County’s Hastings/Quinte Emergency Service’s Committee Wednesday that some of the union’s statistics need some context.
CUPE Local 1842 said that calls for ambulance service had increased by 37 per cent in Belleville. Bowker confirmed the calls went up by that figure but over a five-year period.
So far this year the call volume is little changed from the same period last year while the number of ambulances year-to-date has increased by one 24/7 vehicle.
Meanwhile, Bowker said while the service still deals with shifts that are under-staffed recruitment in the past year has been the best it’s been in five years.
Ten new full-time paramedics will begin work on June 2 and another 10 part-time personnel start soon afterward bringing the service up to 136 full-time paramedics and 47 part-time personnel. Bowker estimates the organization needs to recruit 40 new paramedics in the next year to stabilize staffing needs.
In March, 15 full shifts and 15 partial shifts were downstaffed. In April there were 21 full shifts and 15 partial shifts were downstaffed. Most of the downstaffing occurred on weekends, particularly on Sundays.
During the committee meeting, Belleville councillor Garnet Thompson (chair of the committee) and Quinte West councillor Karen Sharpe praised local paramedics for their dedication and professionalism in often high-pressure situations.
