In a couple weeks Badlands Ambulance may not be operating in the Valley.
At Monday night’s Drumheller Town Council Meeting, Councillor Doug Stanford, who sits on the Badlands Ambulance Society, sought direction from council on whether or not to step out of Badlands Ambulance.
On October 4, the Society will vote on whether to remain. He explains while other municipalities on the society have direction from their council to vote, he wanted Drumheller Town Council’s direction on how to vote.
“Now I can go back to Badlands Ambulance Society and say I have my vote, and I am voting to get out,” said Stanford.
He made a motion for Town Council to exercise its 180 day exit clause to turn Badlands Ambulance Society back to Alberta Health Services.
He explains that Badlands Ambulance is finding it difficult to make a deal with the province. Some of the stipulations the province is calling for make it more expensive, such as having a full time administrator. Badlands Ambulance has highly trained staff, however the province stipulates that only one paramedic could be on shift at a time.
“We are still negotiating but we cannot make a deal, they are nickel and diming us,” said Stanford.
“I feel the province has not given us adequate funding to operate as an ambulance Society."
He adds that Badlands Ambulance technicians have unionized.
“That is a big concern to us , the budget changes and we don’t have the money,” said Stanford.
He says the expense of hammering out a contract with the union is way beyond the funds the Society has.
It could cause other disruptions in service. Stanford says for instance, if the service is short staffed, they are not able to have other services chip in to provide coverage.
He says that if the other membership votes to dissolve the service the local ambulance medical technicians will continue to work in the area.
“They would automatically stay on,” said Stanford.
