'This is bullshit' - first response teams idled by SARS

In a move that has astounded emergency services personnel we've talked to tonight, the Ontario Ministry of Health has idled medical first response teams in Prince and Awares Townships, Searchmont, Goulais River, Batchawana and Garden River First Nation until they can be screened for SARS, an illness that has yet to appear in Northern Ontario.

"This is bullshit," said one emergency responder, pointing out that people with serious medical problems as far north as the Montreal River will now have to wait an hour or more for an ambulance to arrive from Sault Ste. Marie.

Emergency medical first response teams, part of local volunteer fire departments in the communities affected, are typically the first caregivers to arrive at the scene of a medical or trauma emergency.

They are often required to administer life-saving interventions.

Really bad timing

Emergency responders we've heard from tonight expressed incredulity that the directive was handed down at the beginning of a long weekend.

Arranging for screening and the training that must preceed it means that first response teams will not be allowed to operate until at least sometime next week, they told SooToday News.

Prior to issuing a news release tonight, Kim Streich-Poser, director of performance standards at the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board, told us: "Our first priority is to have the paramedics who work for the Sault Ste. Marie emeregncy medical services trained for the new screening tool."

"After that is completed, we'll look at providing the training and screening tools to the volunteer programs," Streich-Poser said.

The following news release was distributed tonight by Streich-Poser:

**************************************************************** News Release

The District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) have had to suspend the dispatching of the Emergency Medical Response Teams located in Prince Township, Aweres Township, Searchmont, Goulais River, Batchawana and Garden River First Nation.

This action comes in response to a directive received today from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's SARS Provincial Operations Centre advising that all Emergency Medical Services and Medical Transport providers who provide patient care must be screened for SARS using the new SARS Screening Tool.

Upon further investigation, the MOHTLC's North Region Office in Sudbury advised that this directive applies to Emergency First Response Team members.

Sault Ste. Marie Emergency Medical Services, who is contracted by the DSSMSSAB to provide Emergency Medical Services to the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Prince Township and the Sault North Area will be providing training to all paramedics on the use of the SARS screening tool.

The training and protocols related to the use of the tools will be provided as soon as possible to the volunteers of the First Response Teams after which regular dispatching for medical emergencies can be re-established.

There is no change to the availability of Ambulance Service to any of these areas.

If the public requires Land Ambulance Services/Emergency Medical Services please dial 911.

**************************************************************** The following are Ministry of Health and Long Term Care directives obtained by SooToday.com:

SARS Provincial Operations Centre

April 15, 2003 - DIRECTIVES TO ALL

- Upper Tier Municipalities and Designated Delivery Agents - Land Ambulance Service Operators - Air Ambulance Operators - Medical Transport Service (MTS) Providers

In an attempt to contain the spread of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care directs that all Ontario providers of emergency and non-emergency medical transport services shall implement and maintain the following procedures effective immediately:

1. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and Medical Transport Service (MTS) providers will ensure that prior to the beginning of a shift each employee, of the EMS or MTS provider, who is engaged to provide emergency and non-emergency transportation and patient care is screened for SARS using the "SARS Screening Tool" (attached).

2. "SARS Screening Tool":

a) If the person fails the "SARS Screening Tool" on the basis of the tool’s Section A they are to be quarantined as directed by Public Health department.

N.B. Section A question 2 should be answered "No" since EMS and MTS employees are to utilize appropriate barrier protection (gloves, masks and gowns) when providing patient care and transportation.

b) If the person fails the "SARS Screening Tool" on the basis of two or more of the tool’s Sections B, C or D being answered "YES" they must be excluded from shift scheduling until they have undergone a medical assessment that has ruled out the possibility of SARS.

Any employee who develops symptoms while at work must leave their post, immediately notify their supervisor and be assessed at a SARS Assessment Centre.

Original signed by Dr. Jim Young, Commissioner

Original signed by Dr. Colin D’Cunha, Commissioner of Public Health

***************************************************************** Employee screening for SARS & screening validation

The following procedures are to be followed for the SARS screening of ambulance and medical transportation services employees who respond to emergencies or who provide emergency or non-emergency transport of patients:

1. Staff screening is to be completed prior to the beginning of each shift or work period.

2. The screening tool can be administered to employees by any member of the staff who has been trained by the operator to use the tool.

3. Partners who are working on any patient transport vehicles of the ambulance and medical transportation services may screen each other prior to the beginning of the shift.

4. Persons who are working alone on a first response or patient transport vehicle must be screened by another person.

5. When completed the SARS screening tool for each employee is to be retained by the employer.

6. When an employee has successfully passed the SARS screening tool requirements, a coloured, day coded, self adhesive sticker (to be sourced locally ) is to be placed on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ambulance Identification Card for ambulance service employees and on the employee identification card for Medical Transportation Services.

INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS HAS BEEN OMITTED HERE BY SOOTODAY NEWS.