It's that time of year again when the wild west collides with the wildest party in town - the Calgary Stampede! Get ready for ten days of cowboy hats, rodeos, and beer. But hold onto your lassos, folks, because with great fun comes... lots of EMS calls.
That's right, just like clockwork, the Stampede brings not only joy but also a surge in EMS volume. Every year, the city transforms into a giant playground of revelry, and each time, the EMS system braces itself for the inevitable onslaught of stampeding partygoers. It's a bit like watching a sitcom rerun—you know exactly what’s coming, but you can’t help but laugh (or groan if you’re a medic) when it happens.
Speaking of past events, let’s take a trip down memory lane to New Year's Eve. Remember how the EMS system struggled to staff ambulances for the festivities? It’s time to discuss the current staffing situation during the Stampede! Picture this: as the city gears up for ten days of rodeo madness, our EMS system is facing more holes in the schedule than a block of Swiss cheese. Shocking, I know, but management is failing to effectively oversee the EMS operations.
As of this post, vacant shifts from July 5th to the grand finale on July 15th include: 93 spots, 77 spots, 74 spots, 73 spots, 64 spots, 88 spots, 94 spots, 93 spots, 93 spots, 79 spots, and 71 spots—resulting in a staggering equivalent of being short 449 ambulances throughout the Stampede. To be fair, those shifts could still be picked up, just like on New Year's Eve, but they couldn’t fill all their vacant shifts then, even with overtime. What’s going to make the Stampede any different? The same issues from New Year’s persist.
Déjà vu, anyone? The EMS staffing numbers look oddly similar to those from New Year's Eve. It’s like Groundhog Day, but instead of Bill Murray stuck in a time loop, it's our EMS staffing crisis. When questioned on New Year's, there were assurances that patients in Calgary who needed EMS care would still receive it. They spun their statements to make it appear they were addressing the vacant shifts, but that didn’t even come close to filling all the ambulances that were regularly scheduled.
Here’s a glimpse of what they had to say:
"AHS RESPONDS: In a statement to CTV News, Alberta Health Services (AHS) insists that 'patients in the Calgary zone who need EMS care will continue to receive it' and that work is ongoing to fill as many vacant shifts as possible. 'Staff vacancy numbers change rapidly as staff pick up shifts, and it is expected that vacant shift numbers for any particular day may decline leading up to the shift itself.' They also mentioned that unfilled shifts are available for overtime and that they are working on sustainable support programs to keep staff engaged."
Now, back to the Stampede… Let’s take a look at ambulance shutdowns during the Stampede in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Drumroll, please...
And what do we see? Chaos. Minimal shutdowns morph into moderately bad situations, and then—BAM—we hit an absolute cluster of a mess with no sign of improvement. Holidays and big events for the EMS system feel like a slow-motion train wreck. What happened? Put staff through hell and offer almost zero support, and it’s no surprise to see staffing levels plummet.
Poor management and ineffective leadership have come home to roost. This year, if we look at the data, we can assume that vacancies will mirror last year’s numbers, as if nothing has changed. If this story hits the headlines, you can bet that the EMS system will pull out their trusty playbook. It’s like a game of verbal dodgeball—except instead of dodging balls, they’re dodging questions about those pesky vacant shifts. Accountability is touted as one of their core values, right?
So, is management being hypocritical? Or worse, are they failing to practice what they preach?
Here’s a prediction: if this issue makes it to the media, the EMS system will likely claim they’re doing everything possible, including offering overtime and staffing extra resources for the event. It’s reminiscent of their New Year’s Eve blunder. Once again, let’s look at the data to see how heavily management relied on casual staff and overtime in previous years to gauge how poorly they might perform this year.
So what does one make of the next likely assertion, that AHS EMS will bring on additional resources to meet the extra volume demand?
It is also worth noting that these extra resources may include supervisors, bikes, PRUs, and transport-capable ambulances, so the EMS system did not provide a complete picture in this FOIP request.
If questioned about this, it would be best for public relations to communicate transparently. Leadership has been at the helm for a while, and meaningful improvement has been lacking. They need to take responsibility for that. Remember, staff are paying attention, and they do not appreciate being misled.
The EMS leadership often claims to be data-driven. However, the data clearly shows that they cannot staff all their ambulances and struggle to adequately support additional resources, relying heavily on casual staff, which has proven insufficient. Paramedics are voicing their concerns that the current management approach is failing, yet leadership seems to be ignoring the feedback.
At a recent town council meeting, a "leadership" member brought a spark of humor to the proceedings, stating, "Every government must have its loyal opposition." Whether intended as a profound statement or a light-hearted quip, it highlighted a disconnect. This platform is not an opposition to the government, nor are any members of the EMS management team government officials. From our perspective, based on the data, management appears to be overpaid bureaucrats who have struggled to fulfill their responsibilities.
The comment served as a reminder of the ego and arrogance within EMS management. They are unable to fill ambulance seats even on a good day, let alone under pressure. Our hope is that our efforts will bring attention to their ongoing failures.
As for the parting sentiment, "We all have the best interest of the patient in mind," we see it differently. This aligns with the perspective shared in a report by the Parkland Institute, suggesting that management's focus is on the system itself, not the patients. If that statement were true, one would expect them to address the system's shortcomings. Instead, they seem committed to a "steady-as-she-goes" approach as challenges escalate. How long until the situation becomes untenable?
To EMS management, we know you’re aware of these issues. Stop pretending everything is fine and take action. The problems are glaringly obvious: stagnant wages, a toxic management culture, detrimental rural-to-city relocations, and worsening hospital wait times. We are watching.
To all Calgary paramedics, there will be a post-Stampede exposé on what transpired, and we want to hear your personal stories to ensure accountability for management. Email us at ambulanceman4@gmail.com; your identity will be protected. Edmonton paramedics, we’re interested in a similar story for Klondike Days, so reach out as well. We also need someone in Edmonton to assist with FOIP requests.
Remember, this is what "taking care of our people" looks like.
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