Spruce Grove to transition from integrated Fire-EMS model

SPRUCE GROVE -- Spruce Grove will be moving away from its current integrated Fire-EMS model starting after Sept. 30.

City Council voted on May 10 not to fund the additional cost associated with the provincial Ground Ambulance Service Agreement. This comes after the province indicated it will be working to standardize ground ambulance service delivery across Alberta, while stating that integrated models operate at a cost higher than comparable models elsewhere in Alberta.

"This has not been an easy discussion or debate, and it's not taken lightly by this Council," said Mayor Jeff Acker. "The ultimatum by the province on integrated Fire-EMS service models was unfair to the City of Spruce Grove, to all other municipalities with integrated service models, and to other municipalities served by these integrated units. Fundamentally, health care is provincial jurisdiction, and it would neither be sustainable nor fiscally responsible for us, as a municipality, to subsidize provincial matters."

Currently, Spruce Grove has an integrated fire service that provides emergency medical services to supply patient transport and ambulance services, in addition to traditional fire department services such as fire suppression, dangerous goods response, and other types of response needed to protect property, people, and the environment.

Following the unanimous decision of Council not to fund out-of-jurisdiction provincial costs, Council put forward a motion to support and maintain Medical First Response at an Advanced Life Support level by Fire Services, providing timely medical aid to patients on-scene, as appropriate. A second motion directed City Administration to explore options for potentially expanding MFR services in Spruce Grove's 2027-2029 Budget and Fiscal Plan.

"We are not in the business of absorbing open-ended provincial health care costs on behalf of local taxpayers, nor should we be," said Mayor Acker. "The province has committed to maintaining service levels for our residents, and we take that commitment seriously."

The city says that the alternative option provided by the province would have resulted in the municipality absorbing an additional cost of around $1,000,000 per year at the start, with projected annual increases after that. The Alberta government has indicated it will collaborate with Spruce Grove in developing a transition plan, and the city will engage fully with that process to ensure continuity of care for residents.