Ep. 429: Sounding the Ambulance Alarm

Guest: Troy Clifford, Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers of BC

Imagine that a loved one in your family has fallen and hurt themselves.

They can’t move. You call 9-1-1 and ask for an ambulance to be sent to your home – at least, that’s what you thought was the best way to care for your cherished family member. “Now, you can’t help but wonder if an ambulance will arrive,” says Troy Clifford, the Provincial President of the Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers of British Columbia union.

From the streets of Vancouver to Valemount and everywhere in between, calling for an ambulance and having one arrive in a timely and life saving manner is becoming iffy. Clifford says, “It’s the service that is on life support and we’re sounding the alarm.” Simply put, paramedics are in the business of helping people when they are having one of the worst days of their lives.

Clifford says, “It’s the system that is failing at the bureaucratic and operational levels; it’s not because our members can’t treat patients.” The union says over 30% of staff are either off work getting treatment for PTSD or still working while traumatized and seeking treatment. The union is asking for public support, by asking you to go to SoundingTheAlarm.ca.

We invited Troy Clifford of the BC Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers Union to join us for a Conversation That Matter about one of our most precious public safety and healthcare services.