Union sounds alarm over gaps in ambulance service in Thompson

The head of a Manitoba firefighters union says communication has broken down between the union and the city of Thompson, and he believes that is keeping ambulances off the streets, and putting public safety and lives at risk. 

"Public safety should be the number 1 concern of everybody, it should be the number 1 concern of the mayor, the number 1 concern of council," Thompson Professional Firefighters Association president Eric Campbell said. 

On June 29, the union posted on its Facebook page that Thompson Fire & Emergency Services would not be able to staff either of its two ambulances between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., due to what they said was a "critical" staffing situation.

In a second post on July 3, the union once again said the department would not be able to run its two ambulances, and that only one ambulance would be available that day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The union said Shared Health EMS did have one ambulance staffed in Thompson during those days, but added they do not believe that's enough to adequately serve the city. 

"It is not a matter of if tragedy strikes as a result of this, it's a matter of when," the union posted. "For a city with as high of a demand for EMS services as Thompson, one staffed ambulance during this time is nowhere near adequate."

Ambulance services moved to Shared Health

According to Campbell, issues with ambulance services in Thompson have been brewing for years, and currently the department only has 10 of the department's 24 jobs filled. 

"The service is in need of a gigantic overhaul, and we've been preaching that, saying that this model is not sustainable," he said. 

"The problem that we face in Thompson is that wages are significantly lower than any other service in the province that provides the same kind of service. It makes it really tough to recruit people and retain people."

But he said those issues have been amplified since last fall, when the city announced it would be handing over ambulance services in the city to Shared Health in February, after provincial underfunding and staffing shortages stretched resources. 

As of Feb. 1, ambulance services in Thompson have technically been a Shared Health responsibility, but Campbell said Shared Health only has one available ambulance in Thompson, so the local fire department still runs its two ambulances in a city that has one of the highest emergency call volumes per capita in Canada. 

According to Shared Health, just over 9,000 calls were answered by the city's emergency department in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

"We have always thought based on our experience and call volumes we need three full-time ambulances running day and night for a city with as high of a demand for emergency services as Thompson," he said. 

Campbell fears staffing issues will continue to keep ambulances off the road. 

He said he is also worried about the staff who make up the department, as low staffing levels are forcing some to work shifts sometimes as long as 38 hours at a time. 

"People are becoming physically and mentally exhausted. This job is mentally trying at the best of times and it's not like we are at a slow place, we are constantly busy, so that's a grave concern."

Campbell is now asking for Thompson's mayor and city council to work with the union to come up with a new agreement, and he hopes that ultimately emergency services in Thompson can be returned to being the sole responsibility of the department. 

"We have been lobbying to get the ambulance service back," Campbell said. "We need a point blank statement as to what the plan is, and what we are doing moving forward."

Not a city issue: mayor

Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook argued any issues with emergency services in Thompson should be directed to Shared Health first and not the city. 

"It's all Shared Health for ambulance services, it's no longer the City of Thompson," Smook said. "And those posts from the union are making it sound like we're letting the citizens down. 

"The ambulance is not the City of Thompson's issue, and to say that the mayor and council is not doing anything is not fair."

Smook says the agreement with Shared Health to run ambulance services will run out at the end of July, and said the city will continue discussions with the province and Shared Health on how to continue after that deadline passes. 

Both the province and Shared Health confirmed last week they have been in discussions with the City of Thompson as they look to establish a new model for ambulance services in the city. 

But Campbell is also accusing the city of keeping the union out of discussions regarding the future of emergency services in Thompson. 

"We've been trying to come to the table," he said. "We've been trying to be part of the solution, but unfortunately when it comes to being privy to these meetings we are either ignored completely, or told no.

"I think for us to be completely left in the dark on these matters is unacceptable, and completely inappropriate."