Bay Roberts council worried about fire department taking too many medical calls

By Craig Westcott/October 28, 2022

Bay Roberts council is reminding people to call the ambulance, and not the fire department, in a medical emergency.

Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour raised the question during a public meeting earlier this October.

“I know the fire department responds to motor vehicle accidents, but what’s the policy on medical emergencies?” asked Seymour.

“Before I started working here, back in December of 2019, I believe there was a lot of discussion around the fire department responding to medical calls, and the frequency of it happening,” said Director of Protective Services Justin Parsons. “I believe, at the time, that the policy was left with the fire department.”

He said the policy was that residents should not call the fire department for medical emergencies, but instead call 911. The Fire Department would provide assistance if requested by ambulance or 911 staff.

“But we’re all watching the news, and we all know the ambulance situation, or the healthcare situation, in the province, and more and more now our fire department is being called out,” said Parsons.

He added the department has been discussing what to do about it.

“It’s becoming a burden,” said Parsons.

Seymour said he asked the question because he had heard that calls are becoming more frequent.

“It’s a volunteer fire department that’s stretched thin as it is, and there’s liability issues,” said Seymour.

Franey, himself a firefighter, explained to council how the department typically responds to such a call.

“The policy we work off is that if you call, we’re going to call the ambulance,” said Franey. “We don’t, like the director said, respond as First Responders. But if the ambulance calls and asks for help, the same as if the Spaniard’s Bay Fire Department called and asked for help, we go and help. We were called for a medical call one time and when we got there, the ambulance said, ‘You know what, we’re good,’ and we just left.”

As to liabilities, Parsons said the Fire Department is covered only so far as what firefighters are trained to handle, which includes advanced first aid, but does not include transportation.

Councillor Perry Bowering asked whether council shouldn’t put a public notice asking folks to not call the fire department to handle a medical emergency.

“It puts you in an awkward position if you get a call and you’ve got to pass them off to someone else,” said Bowering.

Parsons said most calls for help with medical emergencies are requests for mutual aid from ambulance staff, especially if first responders are short staffed or busy with other calls.

Franey added he couldn’t personally remember the last time the department received a direct call for medical services.

Mayor Walter Yetman noted that, “it goes back to a shortage of everything.”

Parsons agreed and added some fire departments in bigger centres do provide medical first response, which may lead some residents to believe the Bay Roberts fire department does as well.

“This is where this is getting tangled up,” said Parsons. “They have paid staff and more advanced training.”

As to liabilities, Parsons reminded council that firefighters are covered so long as they work within the scope of their training.