The wife of a Parksville man, who died in late August while his family was on hold for 31 minutes waiting for an ambulance to be dispatched, has spoken with BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) in what she considers 害羞草研究所渁 very progressive meeting.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e know they害羞草研究所檙e taking it seriously. This is not going to be put on a shelf,害羞草研究所� said Nancy Blakey.
As a former police officer, Blakey said she has both great sympathy and respect for dispatch workers.
害羞草研究所淲hen I was working the night shift, my closest backup was in bed 45 minutes away. My lifeline was the dispatch,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 want to stress how important those frontline people are.害羞草研究所�
From her conversations with BCEHS after the death of her husband Chuck, Blakey believes the emergency service understands how the last thing a distressed person wants to hear when calling is a recording.
READ MORE:
害羞草研究所淭hey need a (person),害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎nd that害羞草研究所檚 what they害羞草研究所檙e looking at changing in the system. And if they can do that, that害羞草研究所檚 huge, in my opinion.害羞草研究所�
In an email to PQB News, Lesley Pritchard, media communications for BCEHS, wrote that, as part of the review of Blakey害羞草研究所檚 incident, they are looking at their processes in dispatch, including changes that may be related to the outgoing phone recording.
She also stated that to support their operations, BCEHS is adding 30 more dispatch staff members, with some starting as early as October.
Shannon Miller, also with media communications for BCEHS, wrote in an email they operate three separate, but integrated, dispatch operation centres in Vancouver, Victoria and Kamloops. The centres all manage incoming 911 calls and co-ordinate all responses to those calls.
害羞草研究所淲e implemented new technology in 2019 that enables our emergency medical call-takers to seamlessly answer and process 911 calls for any of the three dispatch centres and the communities they serve. All 30 new emergency medical call takers (EMCTs) could potentially cover central Vancouver Island, as they are covering the province as a whole. When call volumes are high at one dispatch centre, calls are answered at other centres,害羞草研究所� she wrote.
READ MORE:
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no one easy solution to this,害羞草研究所� said Blakey.
She believes the answer to this problem should not only involve levels of government and public servants with expertise, but communities as well.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very important that the community voice be understood. And (Parksville Qualicum Beach), we are unique because of our demographic.害羞草研究所�
She said when someone finds themselves in a stressful situation, such as needing to call an ambulance, and if they are in an older age group that may not have a support net or family close by, the voice on the other end is essentially their lifeline.
To Blakey, keeping the communications open to ensure these changes are made, or are at least being worked on, is as important as for communities to understand that 害羞草研究所渢hese people truly do care.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e were going forward knowing that our concerns have been addressed at the highest level,害羞草研究所� she said.
Like us on and follow us on
