Ambulance staffing is approaching critically low levels, an alarming sight for communities such as Sooke who are already struggling with response times.
“The health and safety of Sooke residents is a top priority, and the current state of ambulance services is a growing concern,” said Mayor Maja Tait.
Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. (APBC) reported Jan. 17 that ambulance staffing was approaching critical levels, citing overtime bans and budget deficits that have translated into front-line cuts to ambulances and increased response times.
Despite the growth in Sooke over the past several years, Tait says that the district has not seen an increase in ambulance services. To fill the gaps, Sooke Fire Rescue Department (SFRD) has stepped up to frequently respond to medical emergencies.
“This has placed increased pressure on Sooke Fire Rescue Services, which now responds to approximately 65 per cent of its calls for medical emergencies – over 800 medical calls in 2024 alone, an 18 per cent increase from the previous year.”
The need for emergency services is certainly growing. B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) said it responded to 2,102 patient events in Sooke in 2024, a 15 per cent increase from the previous year.
Sooke has two ambulances, one of which is staffed 24/7 by full-time paramedics, while the second is staffed by on-call paramedics within the community who carry a pager. But even these paramedics do not exclusively serve Sooke.
“BCEHS is a provincial ambulance service with no municipal boundaries. When an emergency occurs, the closest available paramedic unit responds," BCEHS said in a statement to Sooke News Mirror.
“Our emergency medical call takers, dispatchers and paramedics are doing exceptional work in responding to the increased needs of the Sooke community.” In recognition of the increased need for Sooke, they've developed several unique approaches to address the need in the area.
“We utilize ‘cross-covering’ whereby other crews in the region cover for that area when an ambulance based in Sooke needs to be deployed to respond to an emergency in another community.”
In addition to cross-covering, BCEHS explained that since November, ambulances have been able to transport low-acuity patients to a clinic in Sooke rather than travelling to Victoria General Hospital, keeping them available in the area. Two temporarily funded ambulances were also added to serve the Greater Victoria area in June 2024.
However, concerns remain that response times are lacking in Sooke, even with SFRD helping out.
“Our firefighters have stepped up to fill the gap, but this comes at a cost to the district, as we are supplementing a provincial service,” said Tait.
“When residents call 911, timely ambulance response should be a certainty – not a question. The alternative is that residents, or their loved ones, are left alone when they need help the most.”
Even BCEHS acknowledged the role SFRD is currently playing.
“BCEHS greatly appreciates our relationship with Sooke Fire Rescue Department in responding to urgent medical emergencies and motor vehicle incidents.”
Despite BCEHS’s attempts to address Sooke's need, APBC remains concerned that service cuts and low ambulance staffing will make longer wait times increasingly the norm.
“Our low acuity calls are waiting longer than ever, and BCEHS’s deployment changes are hurting patients. We’re hearing that patients are sitting for hours on the floor, or with first responders when they need to be transported to hospital by paramedics immediately. Now is not the time to cut front-line services.”
