Fort Smith has contracted Strathcona County dispatch to handle fire and ambulance calls. The town says that means local nurses and volunteer firefighters need no longer monitor the phones.
Strathcona County is an Alberta region covering Sherwood Park and the surrounding area, on the outskirts of Edmonton.
“This change is about improving the safety of residents and responders, reducing the workload placed on our volunteers and health centre nursing staff, and ensuring that our emergency services have the reliable communications and coordination support they need,” said Adam McNab, director of the town’s protective services.
Residents needing an ambulance or firefighting services can call 867-872-2222 or 9-1-1. The old ambulance number will remain active for the next 12 months, McNab said, but will eventually be phased out.
McNab said the Fort Smith fire and ambulance department receives 400 to 500 calls a year and call volume has been increasing.
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Previously, calls for ambulances were handled by nurses at the Fort Smith health centre’s emergency room. McNab said there are usually two nurses working overnight who are responsible for inpatient beds and emergencies. Because they are busy with other responsibilities, he said, that could delay the dispatch of ambulances.
Volunteer firefighters were responsible for dispatching fire services through handheld radios. McNab said incidents like a structure fire could result in 10 to 15 calls “in quick succession.”
Nurses and firefighters handling calls for fire and ambulance services also had to answer nuisance calls or people dialling the wrong number.
“That certainly is a lot to ask of folks that are already tapped. They have more than enough work to do on their own, and it’s a duty that does require a certain degree of training that these folks, especially local nurses, aren’t getting,” said McNab.
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McNab said the dedicated dispatch service will not only answer calls, but can also contact partner agencies, utility companies, mutual aid departments and other resources needed at the scene.
Documentation and reporting will also be improved, McNab said, as calls, radio communications, response times and incident details will be recorded and tracked.
McNab said the town decided to contract Strathcona County dispatch rather than use NWT 9-1-1 because the territorial service is what’s known as a “primary public safety answering point.”
That means the territory’s dispatchers receive calls, gather information and transfer calls to local emergency services for dispatch. They don’t provide services like “full secondary dispatch” on behalf of a specific community, McNab said, nor the kind of incident tracking and ongoing call management he expects from Strathcona County.
People who call 9-1-1 in the NWT will still get the help they need, McNab stressed, as the call will be routed through to Fort Smith’s new dispatch service.
McNab said he didn’t immediately have the information to answer how much contracting Strathcona County dispatch will cost.
“A huge thank you to our nurses and firefighters who have supported local dispatch for many years. Their hard work and commitment have helped keep our community safe, and we are very grateful for everything they have done,” the town stated in a Facebook post.
“We’re excited to move to a permanent dispatch solution that better supports our responders, our health care staff and the community.”
