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The Canadien Champion, Fniday, December 101, 1999 - 5 /Ambulance service to be enhanced with More staff By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Injecting the recently downloaded ambulance ser- vice with more cash could save lives, regional counicil decided Wednesday. It voted ta beef up the service through additional ambulances, ihigher trained staff and improved equipment. A report providing an implementation plan and firm figures for the proposed enhancements is due out in February, 2000. Halton's ambulance service bas not been plumped up since 1985, though its caîl volume has doubled since that time. But downloading bas allowed the Region ta rescue the sagging system, said Burlington Councillor John Taylor. "We have a tremendous opportunity here today ta enhance the ambulance service," he said. "You can't double the amount of calîs with the samne resources and have the same results." One way ta improve thse systemn is ta increase the number of Advanced Life Support paramedics, which receive extra life-sav- ing training; ta 65 per cent of the labour force. More ambulances to, corne Another is ta add more ambulances. Today, a dearth of vehicles contribute ta decreased response times in the region, aaid Halton's land ambulance director Jim King. He pointed that only one of Halton's six ambulance stations has not fallen behind its 1996 response time. And even the speediest response time in Halton lags behind the unofficial North American standard of 8:59 minutes. Response times illustrate when an ambulance arrives on the scene 90 per cent of the time. According ta recent studies, getting a defibrillator - or heart paddle - ta the scene within eight minuteslelps save the lives of cardiac patients. And that is borne out in Burlington, where the percentage of lives saved jumped fmom 2.9 per cent ta 6.8 per cent since defib- rillators came on ta, the scene, said Mr. King. But even Burlington West, which is Halton's fastest station, dbMASSAGE THERAPYWà OUo SPORS. Geltîng rad for the snow1 (Sltiing, snow baarding, odtey) Pmvw t6hse inurs 6mhopen,or Mm can aerwards and reax lIlmosaching msds. HOUDAY STMSS. Iired of fighling lie crowcs aih1e mais? S Ughen ym W6afis yur6ygin GFCEn TE i5t0. MASSAGE THERAPY "Wel have a tremendous opportun.ity here today to enhance the ambulance service. You can't double the amount of cais with the same resources and have the same resuits."l ................................. JOHN iYLUS had a response time of 9:35 minutes. Halton's slowest response time waa in Milton, with ambulances here limping ta the scene in 14.20 minutes 90 per cent of the time. "Right now we have a 14 minute response time in Milton, but you're dead in 10," said Milton Councillor Rick Malboeuf. "If you're a witness ta a cardiac arreat in Milton, the best thing you can do is bend themn over sa they can kisa their butt good- bye." In 1999, ambulance service coat $5,3 10,200, which is split'50- 50 between the Region and the Province. But enhancements such as increased staffing, upgrading ta ALS status and new stations would add approximately $2,646,000 ta that tab. Additional one-time expenditures for equipment, including delibrillators, would plump that up by another $1,.626,000. That cost would be spread over two or three years. B3illiiiii~ iik '111îi~ \\eiiIiI u ii!\ îdl dd oilicr $1? 2 o iLw ambulance portion ofltise average taxpayers bull, which is calcu- lated as the owner of a $185,000 home, Counicil leamed. Currently, Halton residents pay $15.66 for ambulance services. And that can be contrasted ta $279 for police services, said Mr. Taylor. "Iî's only $12 ta significantly improve the safety of the commu- nity and I think it' s worth cvery cent," he added. Dennison flot convinced But that $12 figure isn't fair, since $185,000 homes arc few and far between, countered Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison. "Twelve dollars is a mythical average," he said. 1I don't think I have many of themn in Ward 4." He said hc would be scrutinizing the Fcbruary report for proof that throwing money at the system will lead ta service improve- ments. But bringing more ambulances into the region will caver more ground, helping response times, said Mr. King. And that's priceless, said Local 207 president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Gord Armes. "I would say what is the coat of a life? To put a dollar figure on a life, I wouldn't want ta do it," he said. "I don't think anyone on council would like ta do it either." 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