Union says Niagara EMS is experiencing frequent occasions where there are no ambulances available for 911 calls.
The union representing Niagara EMS is asking for help to address a serious shortage of ambulances.
CUPE says Niagara EMS is witnessing frequent Code Zero occasions where there are no ambulances to respond to 911 calls.
"On Friday last week, we were in Code Zero for nine consecutive hours. For nine hours there was no one available to respond to people in our communities requiring emergency medical care. This is unacceptable," said Jon Brunarski, an active paramedic and president of CUPE 911. "We immediately need more full-time staff and more ambulances to respond to 911 calls."
Brunarski also notes due to a shortage of staff, Niagara EMS has resorted to sending low-acuity patients to hospital in taxis.
While Niagara EMS has recently hired 37 part-time paramedics, the union says that isn't enough for the current amount of calls.
"This is not just the result of COVID-19 but a crisis long in the making. Niagara EMS has not made significant investments in staffing or ambulances in the last decade," Brunarski said. "At the same time, our population has grown and aged, so workloads have been increasing. Paramedics are routinely denied breaks at work, and more and more of us are getting injured or just simply burning out."
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