Members of council unanimously agreed on Tuesday night that the Province’s decision to possibly roll together a fire-medic model for municipalities would remove the level of autonomy for cities like North Bay, possibly harming them by having arbitrators force unwilling municipalities to adopt a model that might not be in their best interest.
Bill 160, the Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act amended the Ambulance Act to permit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to enable two pilot projects hosted by willing municipal governments to allow firefighters, certified as paramedics, to treat patients while on duty with a fire department.
However, councillors Mac Bain and Daryl Vaillancourt introduced a motion calling on the Provincial government to amend the legislation to protect unwilling municipalities from being forced by arbitrators to have a fire medic pilot or program.
“This resolution deals with the possibility of loss of autonomy municipalities have,” Bain said, introducing the motion to council. “We remember conversations of council to resist the notion of a 24-hour fire department, but we have those today. There is a possibility is we’d lose our autonomy as a council to make our own decisions.”
And while the Province says no unwilling municipality will be forced to adopt the model, some municipalities are concerned that down the road they may be forced to adopt it through arbitration.
Coun. Mark King was glad to see this issue brought up at the council table, as chair of DNSSAB (District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board), he was familiar with local EMS services, having it recently housed in a new facility.
“When we start to recognize the position we find ourselves in respect to the fire department, North Bay’s is the most expensive fire department per capita in the province and that’s alarming. Each defibrillator is worth $55,000 and it would be a huge cost if North Bay’s fire department had to shoulder that issue. I’m not exposing our taxpayers to that liability.”
King said the model would be very dangerous for midsized cities like North Bay and the costs for additional training for the fire department.