B.C. fire chief says 911 dispatch system change in B.C. risks patient safety

, leaving people waiting too long for an ambulance while firefighters are not contacted in many situations.

Delmonico, a former medical rescue chief for Vancouver and a one-time member of the Emergency and Health Services Commission before it was renamed BC Emergency Health Services in 2013, said an attempt to save resources has eroded patient care that could be provided by firefighters, who typically arrived ahead of paramedics before the change.

Delmonico said he was frustrated after several recent incidents, including a drug overdose at a recreational centre, where he said two young employees waited too long for an ambulance after finding a semi-conscious man on a bathroom floor “surrounded by needles and a bunch of white powder.” “He was fully spinal immobilized,” Freeze said. “I play hockey, and it was one of the ugliest things I’d ever seen.”

Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Poco fire chief says 911 dispatch system change in B.C. risks patient safetyPatient safety is at risk in British Columbia because of changes to the 911 dispatch system, says a fire chief who has instructed city staff not to call an ambulance during medical emergencies.
Source: VancouverSun - 🏆 49. / 61 Read more »

B.C. fire chief says 911 dispatch system change in B.C. risks patient safetyPatient safety is at risk in British Columbia because of changes to the 911 dispatch system, says a fire chief who has instructed city staff not to call an ambulance during medical emergencies. And encryption!
Source: CTVNews - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »