Hay River raises ambulance fees to meet growing demand

The Town of Hay River has approved a motion to raise ambulance fees in the face of growing demand.

Mayor and council approved changes to the town’s fees and charges bylaw at a meeting on Monday night.

The total hours put in by the protective services department –including emergency response, training and maintenance – nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023, according to the town’s latest emergency services report.

In 2022, staff and volunteers put in 5,962 hours. In 2023, they put in 10,402 hours. The report attributes the cause for the increase to the “demanding emergency events this year.”

“We’ve seen a lot of increased call volume and demand for ambulance services and, for the most part, that falls on our volunteer-based fire department,” Glenn Smith, Hay River’s senior administrative officer, told Cabin Radio.

Hay River residents who are 65 years or older will not be charged for ambulance calls within the community.

Other residents can expect fees to increase:

• From $500 to $600 for services in town;
• From $600 to $700 for highway services, plus $2.50/km; and
• From $1,650 to $2,200 for medevac services, plus an increase from $75 to $100 per waiting hour after the first hour

Non-residents can expect fees to increase:

• From $700 to $850 for services in town;
• From $1,650 to $1,925 for highway services, plus $2.50/km; and
• From $1,650 to $2,200 for medevac services, plus an increase from $75 to $100 per waiting hour after the first hour

Smith said these increases reflect the cost of similar services in other northern communities.

A 2023 operational review of Hay River’s fire department concluded that the rates for ambulance services had not changed for a long period and they were no longer reflective of the costs for providing the service.

“Keeping up with the demand and costs, whether it’s infrastructure, or salaries, or payments to be on-call, ambulance attendants in training, it’s putting a strain on our budget for these services,” Smith said.

Hay River council has approved an additional position with the town’s protective services department. The town’s 2024 budget also includes increases to firefighter compensation to support increased service demand.

Currently, Hay River has two full-time employees devoted to emergency response. Smith said the town hopes the new position will relieve some of the pressure on first responders.

“We’re concerned about burnout with our volunteers,” Smith said.

By providing ambulance services in town, Smith said Hay River council believe they are providing a “core health service” that the territorial health department is responsible for administering. The town is hoping the territory will increase their contributions to support the service.

“We really think the long-term sustainability has to come through increased contributions or ownership from the GNWT,” Smith said.