New ambulance response protocols raise concern

VANCOUVER – B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), along with B.C. Ambulance Service, has come up with a new RAP, or Resource Allocation Plan that has downgraded some medical emergencies from Code 3 to Code 2.

A Code 3 call is one where lights and sirens are used, and a Code 2 is considered a routine call.

A couple of weeks ago fire chiefs and civic politicians began to speak out on behalf of their citizens saying their information suggests people whose injuries fall under Code 2 responses are now waiting much long for paramedics.

At a technical briefing on Tuesday BCEHS defended its RAP, saying they are seeing an improvement of 29 seconds on average in response time for Code 3 calls.

Speaking on Unfiltered with Jill Krop, Vancouver Fire Chief John McKearney said a faster response to their citizens in emergency calls is always a good thing.

“In life and limb threatening events, 29 seconds is an advantage, we’ve always said that,” he said. “And we’re part of that equation, we’re going at the same time and it’s all about getting to the patient  as soon as possible in these types of events to begin to initiate life and limb threatening treatment care.”

Speaking about response times at the technical briefing, Dr. William Dick with BCEHS, said “it’s also important to know that we reviewed since the implementation of this, 114,000 calls and we are absolutely confident that we’re correct in the assignments that we’ve changed, and that we have not negatively impacted patient outcome and that we are getting to sicker patients faster. Provincial average is one minute and our delay in getting to those non-sick patients, the less-sick patients, is about six minutes provincially.”

But some politicians do not agree with this assessment.

Burnaby councillor Colleen Jordan appeared on Unfiltered with Jill Krop and said they have had Code 2 calls that have taken more than an hour for a response from BC Ambulance.

She said there have been 11 occasions since they started documenting the cases, where it took more than an hour for the paramedics to arrive on scene after the fire department arrived.

“In addition to that we have 67 calls that were more than half and hour,” she said. “So Dr. Dick may say that the immediate ones are being reduced, but there is a problem in the system in that those lower priority calls, in their view, are not getting serviced anywhere near adequately as far as we’re concerned.”

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said council is finding a very similar situation in their city relating to the Code 2 calls.

“Some of those calls are serious,” Stewart said on Unfiltered. “Our fire department is sitting there, our fire department responds as many do, and tries to reassess the situation, calls BC Ambulance, tries to get them to understand the severity of the situation. In many cases our fire department has sat there for an hour waiting for a response.”

He said it is a good thing that in Coquitlam they are seeing an improved response time to Code 3 calls of 1:44, but it is Code 2 calls that remain the issue. “The thing is, the rest of the calls, they turn the ambulance sirens off and they proceed and stop at the red lights, and it doesn’t matter what the fire department says. It doesn’t matter that the fire department ran with lights and sirens to get to the car accident, the ambulance may well be diverted at some point and off it goes to another call,” he said.

McKearney said part of the issue is that none of the municipalities were consulted when the BCEHS made this decision.

“In the meeting Dr. Dick did indicate that there is going to be a review of the RAP, a fulsome review by September and in that review will have representation by first responders including the City of Vancouver,” said McKearney.