Alberta's paramedics need way more support

Psychological injuries lead to high rate of absenteeism and poor retention

When many of us have a bad day at work, a meeting may run long. Perhaps a colleague behaves badly or some crucial equipment fails.

When a paramedic in Alberta has a bad day, they may be at a car accident trying to save someone's life as another lies nearby, deceased, from a gruesome injury. When this happens, as it has, the EMS professionals have to move on to their next call. And it happens again and again.

Consider a paramedic on scene dealing with the death of a baby, obviously a horrifying event. This person was not debriefed in any way or monitored for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rather, they were given access to an addictions counsellor, not someone trained to help them with a potential debilitating and lifelong psychological injury.

Over the last four years, more than 1,300 of Alberta's 5,600 paramedics have suffered a psychological injury. These injuries account for one of every four workplace absences among paramedics. And, on average, 20 per cent of paramedics are on sick leave at any time. That's more than four times the average of other AHS staff. Paramedics are missing more time due to psychological injury than all other causes combined for all other AHS staff. That lost time has very real implications for paramedics, but also for anyone calling 911 in Alberta.

Since 2023 mediation between AHS and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, paramedics have been eligible for reimbursement of up to $3,000 a year for counselling. However, they're given a list of therapists and must find one to help. At the rate of $220 per hour, as suggested by the Psychological Association of Alberta, this will not provide a lot of counselling. One EMS professional found himself talking with an AHS-provided counsellor who said she's “not allowed to handle first responder stuff” and referred him to an agency three hours away that wasn't eligible for reimbursement.

EMS does not have access to an on-staff or contracted psychologist with special training or expertise in

PTSD. When the NDP was in government, ambulances were equipped with hydraulic stretchers to reduce physical injuries and Alberta paramedics were given two days of training about how to recognize signs of PTSD and how to deal with it.

The subsequent UCP government cancelled the program. Although a peer-support program is finally being developed, it is not enough. Professional supports are needed.

The average EMS career in Alberta is less than nine years. As Alberta's population grows by thousands of people every month, paramedics are leaving the profession or leaving the province. In the last two years, the vacancy rate in EMS positions has nearly doubled.

Those left behind are seeing a bigger workload, way more patients and higher exposure to traumatic events and illnesses.

This places even more demands on their minds and bodies. We need to pay attention to this. Retention is an opportunity to increase our workforce.

Over 18 months ago, the Government of Alberta published the Alberta EMS Provincial Advisory Committee report.

The need for more paramedics was clear. But it was also clear that we need to provide them with adequate mental health supports to retain those we already have. Several recommendations were made to support our EMS workforce.

We need to see action on these recommendations — including changes to shift scheduling and “working with system partners to enhance access to mental health supports.”

If we only focus on reducing response times, an important goal, we risk losing the chance to build a longterm sustainable workforce.

There was nothing in the Alberta 2024-25 budget or strategic plan to retain paramedics by providing necessary professional mental health supports.

We need to take better care of our first responders.

Because, you see, we are only as safe as our EMS. These are the people we rely on if we're involved in an incident, big or small.

They want to help us. They want to be fit and mentally ready to take on whatever emergency they encounter.

But we need to help them, too. It is time for action.

Our EMS is calling 911.

Will we pick up?