No guarantee province will help fund 12 paramedics

The chair of the local social services board agrees it is putting the proverbial cart before the horse in hiring additional EMS paramedics and supervisors prior to a cost-sharing agreement with the province, but says it is necessary.

“I believe the need is so great we need to take the risk and go ahead and provide the funding to make sure staffing is appropriate,” said Janet Gawne, chair of the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Administration board (DSSAB), reached by phone this afternoon.

A monthly meeting of the DSSAB board was held Thursday, in which Sault Ste. Marie Fire Chief Mike Figliola reported that a business plan is to be presented to the Ministry of Regional Health and Long Term Care to request funding the four paramedic supervisors and eight paramedics. 

The additional personnel were approved as part of the city’s fire services realignment which city council approved October 26 and which included 20 firefighter cuts over three years by attrition.

A report to the board from Figliola stated that staffing hours for the Sault Ste. Marie EMS have not changed since 2002, despite a rise in calls due, in part, to the ageing population of the city.

Figliola said the planned hiring of four EMS supervisors is absolutely mandatory for the service to be compliant with occupational health and safety standards.

Each of the four planned shifts must have a dedicated supervisor, said Figliola. 

Currently, the service only employs ‘workgroup leaders,’ who ride in the ambulances and who also provide care.

“The belief was just having them on shift met the definition of a competent supervisor. When I arrived and checked into that and delineated down to that I was told that did not comply,” said Figliola.

A successful pilot project, which ran from June and is set to expire later this month, added two part-time paramedics, as well as an additional ambulance on the night shift.

This addressed some deficiencies in the service, but Figliola said there is still a clear need for an additional two ambulances during the day — when 63 percent of calls for service are received.

The pilot project was paid for by the DSSAB reserve fund at a cost of $186,500.

The DSSAB board voted to extend the pilot project for an additional three months at a cost of $31,500 a month, to come out of the DSSAB reserves.

In his report to the board, Figliola stated that in 2015 documentation there were more than 350 times a year in which no ambulance was available and 250 times each year that requests for an ambulance were delayed.

The board accepted the extension of the pilot project. In his report, Figliola stated to not extend it ‘would return the service to a high risk, inefficient, substandard service.’

The DSSAB is funded through levies provided by the city, as well as surrounding municipalities and territories without municipal organization.

By the end of the extended pilot project, Figliola hopes the ministry will have accepted the business case for a 50-50 cost-sharing between the DSSAB and province for the four supervisors and eight paramedics.

“When they get this there is no guarantee, but they believe even if we get partial funding for the first year of the four supervisors and the four medics the other four will probably come in the next year,” said Figliola.

Although he acknowledges there is no guarantee the province will agree to share the costs for the new staff, Figliola pointed out the addition of supervisors is intended to help the service come into compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

City council voted October 26 for a reorganization of fire services — to cut 20 firefighters and hire 12 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff.

Last month it was announced EMS will be severed from the city's control and will soon be overseen by the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).

The DSSAB will be compelled to hire the eight paramedics and 4 paramedic supervisors the city committed to hiring during the October 26 vote to reorganize fire services.

Should the ministry choose not to accept the DSSAB’s business plan, or to accept only a portion of the staffing increase, the DSSAB will be on the hook for as much as 100 percent of the added positions.

“We’re dipping out of the reserves to cover off the [pilot project]. If we don’t get full funding from the ministry then we will have to continue to use the reserves until that funding comes through,” said Figliola.

Figliola said contingency plans will be provided to the board by January in preparation should the province choose not to fund the new hires.

“The contingency is based on the realignment in fire, where that money will be available,” said Figliola.

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(FILE PHOTO: Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)