Spruce Grove residents call on city to maintain integrated Fire-EMS

SPRUCE GROVE -- Spruce Grove community members continue to call on the municipality to maintain its integrated Fire-EMS.

This comes as the City of Spruce Grove is currently slated to transition away from its integrated service model following the expiration of their provincial contract this fall. The reasoning for the change, as cited by the municipality, relates to increased costs that will be forced upon communities seeking to maintain the integrated model. 

Despite this, many residents have voiced their concerns about the transition, stating that consultation with members of the public was not held prior to the city's decision. Dianna Rubio with Save Spruce Grove Fire-EMS says the current model is the best option for medical emergencies when every second counts.

"I think that residents should have an input in this decision because it would be us that are paying for it," said Rubio in conversation with 88.1 The One. "They have not consulted residents as to what we're willing to pay. They said that it would be $6 a month per household, and most residents that we've spoken to have said that they would be willing to pay that amount."

With the integrated model, fire units can be dispatched at the same time as ambulances, reducing time on scene for critical incidents. This means that if a fire apparatus arrives before an ambulance at an accident or medical call, cross-trained firefighters immediately start life-saving treatment. Save Spruce Grove Fire-EMS member Shannon Higgins says she's seen the benefits of the integrated system firsthand.

"For me, this is very personal," said Higgins. "I watched my husband take his last breath and go completely limp. He had a cardiac arrest in front of me. Thank God our integrated ambulances arrived in under five minutes and helped to bring him back. I watched the system in action -- they knew each other's jobs, their roles, and exactly what needed to happen."

One of the criticisms when it comes to provincially delivered ambulance services is increased wait times. In addition, ambulances from surrounding or rural communities are frequently pulled to cover shortages in major urban centers, often leaving local areas under-resourced. Justin Jaeger, President of the Spruce Grove Firefighters Association, worries that transitioning to provincial delivery will have an adverse effect on the community's medical response capabilities.

"There's an 18-year history of them being unable to meet the emergency service response standards," said Jaeger. "We're very skeptical that they'll be able to just flip a switch and solve the problems that they're indicating that they'll be able to."

In previous correspondence with 88.1 The One, the province had noted their reason for increasing the cost of their integrated services contract was due to the costs incurred to other municipalities who do not utilize the service. Of the handful of municipalities facing the question on integrated Fire-EMS, only Spruce Grove and the City of Leduc have voted to transition away from the current system.