Ambulance services dial 911 for funding

Stephanie Fleming
Staff Writer

Last Wednesday, Health and Long-Term Care Minister Tony Clement announced the Ontario government is investing $60,000 in Rainy River, part of $10 million in special grants to improve land ambulance services across the province.
“Our government is committed to helping municipalities provide quality ambulance services,” Clement said. “This funding will ensure the vehicles and equipment necessary to maintain and improve ambulance services are available throughout the province.” This funding is in addition to the $5 million announced last September to replace defibrillators and vehicles.
But Rainy River has already used the money to replace nine defibrillators, said Donna Dittaro, CAO of the District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB). “We received just over $29,000 [last September]. This $60,000 was a one-time grant only applied to the purchase of defibrillators to offset the cost,” she said. “That’s a drop, that $60,000 is a drop [in the bucket].”
While 37 communities received part of the $10 million in funding, Kenora wasn’t included.
“I find that unusual, I would have thought everyone was eligible,” Dittaro said.
Sten Lif, Kenora1s DSSAB CAO said he wasn’t sure why his district was left off the list. “We haven1t received anything here,” he said. “We have submitted a substantial amount. We applied for funding enhancement last October.”
As part of last September’s funding Kenora did receive about $35,000.
The Ministry could not be reached for comment as of press time.
The Rainy River district also has a sizable funding request in with the Ministry of Health.
“We’re waiting to hear about two funding requests that we submitted to the minister,”Dittaro said. We submitted a huge submission to the government back in September.
“The government asked how [provincial service boards] could increase response times. We concentrated on staffing, and bases‹we need some upgrades, for example in the town of Rainy River,” she continued.
Rainy River DSSAB also wants to upgrade to seven days a week, 24 hour a day service.
“DSSAB did pass the budget a couple of weeks ago and did increase the funding” said Dittaro. “Our biggest fight right now is over the incorporated they’re not funding it correctly. Last year, they owed us over $160,000 and they only paid us $18,000 so we1re going after them for that.
Both Kenora and Rainy River DSSABs have been waiting a year for the funding.
“We understand that with a growing and aging population the demand for ambulance services will continue to increase,” Clement said. “This money means that municipalities all across the province will have the tools they need to improve ambulance response times to meet that demand.”
“Municipal governments are committed to building and maintaining an ambulance system that meets the needs of their communities,” said Roger Anderson, Municipal Co-chair of the Land Ambulance Implementation Steering Committee. “The province1s financial partnership is helpful and these grants are an important installment to this partnership.”
This investment is part of the government1s SuperBuild strategy to improve health infrastructure.
On Jan. 1, 2001, the Ontario government downloaded administration for land ambulance services to local service boards. As of 2006, ambulance attendants will need EMCA certification for employment and there has to be a primary care paramedic on each vehicle. Volunteers working more than 24 hours a week will need EMCA certification.