Some firefighters in BC have had enough with the province’s new ambulance dispatch system.
BC Emergency Health Services launched the new system in the spring.
Under the new system, fire cres are not notified of emergency calls unless they are deemed high priority.
Local fire chiefs are now criticizing the system, saying that it is forcing residents of smaller communities to wait far too long for emergency services.
BCEHS says that the system allows them to free up essential resources, but opponents argue that the extra four or five minutes fire crews can arrive ahead of ambulances is essential in its own right.
Despite the arguments, BCEHS says the system has not extended emergency wait times.
