Ontario fire fighters want approval to give out drugs for medical emergencies

Morning North9:12Firefighter's want the right to administer some drugs

Firefighters are often first on the scene at medical emergencies. Ontario's firefighters want to be trained to give out certain drugs when needed. Paramedics think it's a bad idea. We heard more from the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association.

Ontario's full-time firefighters want authority to give out drugs when responding to medical emergencies — but some Sudbury paramedics say that puts public safety at risk.

Carmen Santoro says the majority of firefighter calls aren't for burning buildings, but medical emergencies.

The president of the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association said firefighters respond to these kinds of emergencies in half the time it takes paramedics.

But once they get there, they can only provide basic first aid.

"We get to a call and we can't do something as simple as administer an aspirin," Santoro said.

He wants certain firefighters to be trained to give out five symptom-relief medications, including drugs for chest pain, allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and low glucose levels.

"We know we have 10 per cent of our 11,000 members in this province who are fully trained, certified paramedics," Santoro continued.

"Because today they are arriving in a fire truck they're not allowed to use their paramedic skills on those calls."

Asking for training

But the union for Ontario's paramedics says they're the only ones equipped to deal with medical emergencies.

Sudbury paramedic Rick Sasseville said the move may mean "an individual that requires a higher level of care is going to fall through those cracks."

The level of training for paramedics has been improving over the last 20 years, he said, and giving firefighters the authority to administer drugs would be a step backwards.

But Santoro disagrees.

"Symptom relief is only a small portion of paramedic work. We're asking for the training required to administer five drugs — one being as simple as aspirin. Now you're not going to tell me you need two years of training to administer the five drugs."

Santoro added that firefighters will do "whatever training is required."

"There's no way we would put the public at risk. It's just not in the firefighter DNA," he said.

"If anyone is complaining and putting the training hours under a microscope, then just tell us what the training hours are and we'll get it done."

The drugs in question include nitroglycerin sprays for chest pain, epipens for allergic reactions, ventolin for asthma attacks, and glucocor to stabilize glucose levels in diabetics, as well as aspirin.