B.C. paramedics say staffing nears 'critical' levels, affecting response times

An ambulance drives through the village of Zeballos, B.C., on Tuesday April 2, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

RICHMOND, B.C. — The union representing almost 6,000 ambulance paramedics and dispatchers in British Columbia is sounding an alarm on staffing levels “reaching critical” in the province.

In a statement, the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia CUPE 873 says members are reporting “dozens and dozens” of empty ambulances, with “hundreds” of unfilled positions across the province.

Union President Jason Jackson says in the statement that workers have tried to engage with BC Emergency Health Services, which imposed an overtime ban on Jan. 1 to cut costs.

Jackson says the ban has resulted in cuts to staffing as well as slower response times, and as much as 25 per cent of ambulances in B.C. are “commonly unstaffed” on a daily basis.

He says those people who have non-critical cases may be waiting for an ambulance “for a long time” given the current staffing conditions.

B.C. Conservative rural healthcare critic Brennan Day says in a statement that the staffing shortage is a “public safety crisis” and he’s calling for the NDP government to do more to support paramedics and rural communities that depend on them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.