The Town and the MD of Bonnyville are covering the $50,000 shortfall for the purchase of a new ambulance.
In October, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) reached out to the Town and MD of Bonnyville requesting the funding. Each municipality agreed to split the $50,000 cost, with the town allocating $25,000 from their ambulance funding reserve, and MD pulling the money from their fire protection equipment replacement reserve.
The decision was made after Alberta Health Services (AHS) refused to reimburse funds taken from the BRFA capital reserve to repair broken down vehicles. The money was originally meant for the purchase of new equipment, but instead was used for repairs to keep the current fleet functioning.
“We’re at a point where we obviously had to go to the municipalities because there’s not enough money there to purchase an ambulance,” detailed regional deputy fire chief Jay Melvin.
While the acquisition will be made through the BRFA, funding from AHS and both municipalities will be used to cover the cost, however the board plans to lobby AHS to get some of the funding reimbursed.
“We’re stuck. We’ve got two ambulances that basically have to be replaced, and we’re only allowed to have three of them. We have one of them as standby, and each of them are all aged out. AHS knew this two years ago. They couldn’t provide funding because of the way they do their policies and the way their mandate has been set down,” detailed Mayor Gene Sobolewski, who also sits on the BRFA board.
Currently, the contract between the BRFA and AHS requires ambulances to be in use for seven years. According to the BRFA, the agreement doesn’t take into account the wear and tear endured, or the increase in services done out of the Bonnyville area. As a result, maintenance costs to keep the fleet road-ready are quite high and the kilometres put on the vehicles decreases their resale value.
An increase in patient transfers has resulted in engine and other breakdowns, money slated for vehicle purchases was taken out of the reserves from the area’s previous ambulance authority in order to make repairs.
“When we negotiated the original agreement, basically AHS held a gun to our head. We had a reserve that was dedicated to the replacement equipment, particularly ambulances,” Sobolewski noted. “However, because of the chronic funding shortfall, we had to utilize that funding to have the operation continue.”
When one of the ambulances came up for replacement this year, and another scheduled for next year, the BRFA board opted to purchase a model better suited for rural communities.
“The board of directors decided to go with a more robust style of ambulance compared to what you typically would see in urban centres, and what we currently have in service,” explained Melvin, noting the newer vehicle would be a truck model with a diesel engine and four-wheel drive.
Sobolewski said the ambulances are getting pretty “beat up” and AHS didn’t take that into account during previous negotiations.
“We’re the ones that are stuck with the bill, and these ambulances are, literally, by the time they reach the province’s mandate of end of life, falling apart. We can’t put enough duct tape on them,” he exclaimed.
Funding from AHS is based on the fleet that Bonnyville currently has in service. Purchasing a different model was one way the board hoped to ensure a vehicle would last the minimum seven-year cycle.
“We feel, based on our replacement schedule every seven years, we don’t believe that set up, with the amount of travel our ambulances do between the Bonnyville Health Centre and the City of Edmonton for transfers, would go through its lifecycle without major repairs,” expressed Melvin.
Sobolewski stressed, the board doesn’t want the MD and town to subsidize the program again.
“We need the equipment to be able to operate, and AHS isn’t going to put in. They just want us to buy (the same model as before) and keep it for seven years like we’ve already done. We’ve shown them that’s a very faulty program, that it doesn’t work in rural Alberta, but it’s falling on deaf ears,” he explained.
Melvin added, “It’s already a discussion with AHS of where we’re situated. They’re well aware. This is nothing new to Alberta Health with our service... We have a very good working relationship with our AHS contract provider, but once again, it’s just a process we have to go through.”
Along with reimbursement, the board is also seeking adjustments to their contract in order to meet some of their needs. Sobolewski noted these changes would be better suited for rural communities in Alberta so they can continue to offer their services.
Another avenue the BRFA is looking into, is decreasing the amount of transfers out of Bonnyville. MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk, who sits on the BRFA board, said the issue could be helped through upgrades to the local hospital.
“It all comes back to us not having the proper medical equipment up here. We end up sending all of our folks to the city for the specialized testing when we should have more of that equipment,” expressed Sawchuk.
The contract between AHS and the BRFA was renewed for another two years in August. According to Melvin, no negotiations took place due to a clause in the previous agreement.
“Right now, there’s avenues and discussions that we’re having with our contractor to figure out a way how we can get through the capital expenditures that we have forecasted for the next several years,” he detailed.
Sawchuk said, “Ambulance service is a necessity, there’s no way around that, and the health of our residents is first and foremost. We have to keep the ambulances on the road.”
In a statement, senior media relations advisor for AHS Kirsten Goruk said “AHS EMS recently finalized negotiations with the BRFA to extend its contract to provide ambulance services to the community and surrounding area. The prior five-year contract expired in August 2018 and has been extended until August 2020… AHS is always available to meet with its EMS partners to discuss any concerns that may arise.”
