The lack of ambulances overnight in Chatham-Kent is a not only major concern for the residents who may be in need of emergency help, but it is apparently taking a toll on the bodies and minds of paramedics.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which represents paramedics in CK, has launched the Not In The Budget Campaign. According to executive board member of the SEIU and chair of the paramedics committee, Chris Stolte, the campaign is as much about helping the paramedics personal well being as it is about the community.
"We've had three paramedics who have had heart attacks in the last couple of years," Stolte said. "We've had a couple of major accidents where the paramedics have had to be cut out of the ambulance due to the amount of time that they are spending on the road. The short-term and long-term disability claims have gone through the roof from paramedics going off on stress leave."
Stolte said it all adds up to slower response times for the ambulances and members are reporting complaints from clients who have called for emergency services.
As it stands now there are a total of six ambulances on call in various parts of Chatham-Kent after 9 p.m. on weekends and Stolte said there is only one designated for Chatham. For comparison, Stolte said there are eight vehicles ready to go during the day in Chatham.
He added after 9 p.m., if the vehicle has been sent to an incident and another call comes in for Chatham, they will have to pull an ambulance from another surrounding area like Tilbury.
"When they do that they are leaving areas empty," Stolte said. "If all the cars are in Chatham and a 911 call comes in from Tilbury, they have to bring another car in from further away to service the call, putting added stress onto the system, paramedics, wear-and-tear on the ambulances and increased costs."
Stolte asked residents of CK to go onto their website and put in a letter to Chatham-Kent Coordinator of Emergency Services and express their opinion.
He added since 2004 there has been no service enhancements with the ambulances in the municipality. Stolte said since then the senior population has increased by 24 per cent and the volume of calls has increased nearly 40 per cent.
"We need more ambulances on the road," Stolte said. "Would you want to be the next person to call 911 and asked for an ambulance and have to wait over 20 minutes for them to arrive at your house?"
Stolte has been monitoring CK council and knows about the Dynamic Deployment Plan, which was implemented last year. He said the plan actually took more ambulances off the road and simply spread them out differently.
Stolte said council has tried to claim it was not them who implemented the plan.
"At the last council meeting, the new fire chief came to council and told them they had nothing to do with the deployment strategy and it was all handled with the people up at Wallaceburg dispatch. There's been so much information that has contradicted each other, that has gone to council, that council can't make an informed decision on the information that staff are bringing back to them."
Stolte said the campaign will continue into October's municipal election and he wants it to be a main topic addressed in candidates platforms.