Term
| Describe Emergency Medical Services pre 1970 |
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Definition
| Ambulance service in British Columbia has roots dating back to the early 1900s. At this time, Emergency Medical Services were provided by a wide range of commercial and municipal operators, some functioning from funeral homes, others partially subsidized by municipalities, some based with volunteer fire departments and others existing on paid subscriptions from the public. This diversity in providers resulted in great variations in response times, a lack of control over staffing levels or staff qualifications, inconsistencies in service delivery and differences in the quality of ambulances and equipment. Staff training and patient care standards were also virtually non-existent, as they were largely determined by the financial health of the providing agency or company. |
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Term
| Describe the Foulkes Report |
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Definition
| R. G. Foulkes, a physician and hospital administrator, developed the "Health Security for British Columbians" report (also known as the Foulkes report) for the Minister of Health, published in 1973. This document identified and attempted to address many of the health care issues existing at the time. The key recommendation resulting from this report was that the Province of British Columbia assume responsibility for all privately and municipally operated ambulance services in the province. Specifically, the Foulkes report advised that "the fractionated ambulance services provided by private companies, volunteer agencies and municipal fire departments be amalgamated under one jurisdiction." As a result of this report, the Gov't created the Emergency Health Services Commission. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1974 - Following the release of the Foulkes report, the Health Emergency Act (HEA) was proclaimed, establishing the Emergency Health Services Commission (EHSC) as an agent of government. Through the Act, the EHSC was endowed with the legislated mandate to ensure the provision of high quality and consistent levels of pre-hospital emergency medical services throughout the province. Thus, the new provincial BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) was born. |
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Term
| What is the transition period |
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Definition
| 1974-1980 became known as the transition period, during which time training and patient care standards were established and cross boundary disputes were eliminated. This period also saw the implementation of Advanced Life Support units in a number of BC communities as well as the creation of the Infant Transport Team, a specialized paramedic team responsible for providing care to pediatric, neo-natal and high-risk obstetrics patients while en-route to specialized care units. During this time, centralized Dispatch/Communications Centres were also established, the Air Ambulance Service became an integrated service with the ground ambulances and BCAS began serving more remote communities that, at one time, had no form of emergency health care. |
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Term
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Definition
Throughout his career as a physician, Dr. Ransford served on several local and national committees involving transport of the critically ill and injured. Acting as the pre-hospital care subject matter specialist for Dr. Foulkes' focus group, the papers Dr. Ransford compiled became the blueprint for the BCAS. Dr. Ransford received the Order of BC in 2008 in recognition of his pioneering work to help create the BCAS.
It is with deep sadness that BCAS mourns the loss of Dr. Ransford who died on June 12, 2012. Dr. Ransford is an important part of our history and he will not be forgotten. |
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Term
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Definition
Mr. Carson Smith was the operator of the largest private ambulance service in British Columbia. A true visionary, Mr. Smith's knowledge of the inner workings of EMS made him the natural choice to team up with Dr. Ransford in the development of the BCAS.
The amalgamation of the large number of disparate EMS providers into one provincial service was an enormous task. Through the efforts of Dr. Ransford, Carson Smith and their dedicated team, BCAS first took over the private operators and volunteer agencies, permitting municipal fire departments to continue providing pre-hospital emergency medical services under agreements with BCAS. |
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Term
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Definition
nce its inception, the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) has evolved into a single unified operation, decentralized by design, but providing the organizational structure necessary for system improvements in operational efficiency, effectiveness and quality of care. This growth has taken a gradual path, as over its history the BCAS has assumed responsibility for ambulance service provision in communities increasingly more distant from the population centres of the Lower Mainland and Victoria.
The stories of the "Old Days" have been passed on through time and some are now almost mythical. Many of the paramedics and support staff that began this journey over 30 years ago are still with the Service today to see the vision of Dr. Ransford and Carsen Smith realized. |
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Term
| How many British Columbian's does the BCAS serve |
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Definition
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Term
| How many Health Authorities are there, and what are their names and areas of jurisdiction |
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Definition
1. Northern Health - covers Northwest, Northeast and Northern Interior
2. Interior Health - covers Thompson/Cariboo, Okanagan, Kootenay/Boundary, and East Kootenay.
3. Vancouver Island Health Authority
4. Vancouver Coastal Health - covers North Shore/Coast Garibaldi, Vancouver and Richmond.
5. Fraser Health - covers Fraser North, Fraser South and Fraser East.
6. Provincial Services Health Authority - coordinates and/or provides provincial programs and specialized services, such as cardiac care and transplants. |
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Term
| Describe the structure of the Health Authorities |
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Definition
| This structure, introduced in December 2001, modernized a complicated, confusing and expensive health care system by merging the previous 52 health authorities into a streamlined governance and management model. |
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Term
| How much area does the BCAS provide service to? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many events does the BCAS respond to per year |
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Definition
| In 2009/2010 BCAS paramedics responded to 478,958 events by ground and 8,209 by air. |
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Term
| How many people does the BCAS employ |
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Definition
| BCAS employs 3,983 individuals, 3639 paramedics and dispatch staff, 205 support staff and 138 management staff. |
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Term
| What are the departments of the BCAS |
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Definition
BCAS paramedics and dispatchers deliver front line patient care, with support services staff including Communications,
Finance, Human Resources, Information Management/Technology, Labour Relations, Medical Programs, Organizational
Health and Safety and Policy and Planning personnel working to support paramedic efforts and ensure BCAS continues
to deliver high quality care. |
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Term
| Describe the operations fleet of the BCAS |
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Definition
| BCAS operates 186 stations, 483 ambulances, 52 support vehicles and nine dedicated ambulance aircraft. |
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Term
| Decribe the Northern Region |
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Definition
| BCAS’ Northern Region covers 606,300 square kilometres, almost two-thirds of B.C., and is bordered by the Northwest and Yukon Territories to the north, and the B.C. Interior to the south, and Alberta to the east, and Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Northern Region includes 34 ambulance stations and is also home to the BCAS Northern Region Administrative Office located in Prince George. |
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Term
| Describe the Interior Region |
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Definition
| BCAS’ Interior Region also serves a large geographic area, which ranges from densely populated to scarcely populated areas. The Interior Region covers 214,700 square kilometres, from Williams Lake to the U.S. border and from Anahim Lake in the Chilcotin to the Alberta border. The Interior Region includes 62 ambulance stations and is also home to the Interior and Northern Region Dispatch / Communications Centre, and BCAS Interior Region Administrative Office located in Kamloops. |
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Term
| Decribe the Lower Mainland Region |
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Definition
| BCAS’ Lower Mainland Region is characterized by communities with high population densities. The region serves the 604 and 778 area codes, covering 71,020 square kilometres, and stretches from the USA border, east to Manning Park and North to Boston Bar. The region also serves the Howe Sound corridor to Pemberton and the Sunshine Coast. The Lower Mainland Region includes 46 ambulance stations and is also home to the Lower Mainland Region Dispatch / Communications Centre and BCAS Lower Mainland Region Administrative Office, located in Vancouver. |
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Term
| Describe the Vancouver Island Region |
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Definition
BCAS’ Vancouver Island Region serves the residents of Vancouver Island as
well as the Gulf and Discovery Islands. Serving an area of 56,680 square
kilometres, the Vancouver Island Region includes 44 ambulance stations and
is also home to the Vancouver Island Region and Provincial Air Ambulance
Dispatch / Communication Centres as well as BCAS Vancouver Island Region
Administrative Office and BCAS’ Provincial Headquarters, located in Victoria. |
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Term
| Decribe Provincial Programs |
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Definition
BCAS’ fifth operational area, Provincial Programs, crosses all of the
geographical regions. Within Provincial Programs are four speciality program
areas: Provincial Scheduling, the Emergency Management Office, Fleet
Operations and Airevac and Critical Care Transport. |
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Term
| What is the mission of the BCAS |
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Definition
BCAS strives to provide timely and high quality emergency medical services by, caring for and about its patients and
staff, providing creative solutions for changing health care needs and collaborating with its partners in the health care system and community. |
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Term
| What are the goals of the BCAS |
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Definition
Goal 1: Provide innovative and effective quality patient care
Goal 2: Strengthen partnerships to provide effective and efficient
patient care
Goal 3: Use our resources for effective, efficient and appropriate
patient care
Goal 4: Ensure a healthy, safe and supportive workplace |
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Term
| How many call centres does BCAS operate |
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Definition
BCAS operates four Dispatch/Communications Centres; three Regional Centres based in Kamloops, Vancouver and Victoria, from which ambulances are deployed, and one Provincial Air Ambulance Coordination Centre located in Victoria, which manages all responses requiring air
ambulance transport. |
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Term
| Describe the Lower Mainland Dispatch Communications Centre |
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Definition
• Receives calls from and dispatches ambulances to over 30 communities as far East as Mission and Agassiz, South to Manning Park in the Fraser Canyon and North to Pemberton and Lillooet. On average, the centre responds to 900 emergency calls per day.
• On average, responds to 1,100 calls and inter-facility transfer requests on a daily basis |
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Term
| Describe the Vancouver Island Dispatch Communications Centre |
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Definition
| • Dispatches ground based ambulance resources to all of Vancouver Island, Powell River and the surrounding Gulf Islands • On average, receives to 300-400 calls a day |
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Term
| Describe the Interior / Northern Region Dispatch/Communications Centre |
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Definition
• One of the largest geographical Dispatch/Communications Centres in North America, the Centre is responsible for dispatching ambulances in 98 communities throughout interior and northern BC
• Handle an average of 500-600 calls a day |
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Term
| Describe the Provincial Air Ambulance Coordination Center |
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Definition
• Responsible for coordinating and providing air and ground Critical Care Transport and non-critical air transports
• Transports are primarily coordinated within the province but can be inter-provincial or international |
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Term
| Describe the operations of the Air Ambulance Program |
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Definition
| BCAS’ Air Ambulance program provides the critical transportation linkages between accident scenes, hospitals and referral centres across the province for patients requiring more specialized care then available in the local community. Operating from three flight centers located in Vancouver, Kelowna and Prince George, the Air Ambulance Program employs a total of 6 dedicated fixed wing planes (2 turboprops and 1 jet based in Vancouver, 2 turboprops based in Kelowna and 1 turboprop based in Prince George), and 3 dedicated helicopters (2 based in Vancouver and 1 based in Prince Rupert). BCAS also employs approximately 40 charter carriers throughout B.C. The BCAS Air Ambulance program employs highly skilled, specially trained emergency medical personnel including ACPs specializing in Adult Critical Care, known as Critical Care paramedics (CCPs) and Child and Maternal Critical Care, known as Infant Transport Team (ITT) paramedics. |
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Term
| Describe the Critical Care Transport Program |
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Definition
| Critical Care Transport (CCT) Team paramedics provide highly-specialized care and long-distance transport between health facilities for critically ill or injured patients. The first ground based CCT Team was established in Kamloops, B.C. and operates in the Thompson, Cariboo and Shuswap areas. A second dedicated CCT team was formed in the east Kootenay Boundary area and currently operates out of Trail B.C. This team was formed as a joint venture with the Interior Health Authority, and is comprised up of highly skilled critical care paramedics paired with critical care nurses. |
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Term
| Describe the Infant Transport Team |
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Definition
BCAS has specialized teams that work with paediatric, neo-natal and highrisk
obstetrics patients, while en-route to specialized care units in hospitals
throughout B.C., the Yukon Territories, other parts of Canada and the United States if necessary. All paramedics serving on the Infant Transport Team (ITT) complete a specific training program focused on providing care to children, where they learn advanced skills such as intubation and the use of a wide
variety of monitors, ventilators, IV pumps and medications. In addition, ITT
paramedics liaise with specialist physicians who provide support and guidance. One of only two paramedic units of its kind in the world, the ITT was formed by BCAS in 1976 to provide expert care and transport to patients under 16 years old that require a higher level of care. |
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Term
| Describe the Special Operations program |
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Definition
In addition to providing emergency medical and non-emergency transport
services, BCAS also offers contracted paramedic services at major public and
international events, professional sporting events, movie sets and community fairs.
As part of this service, BCAS deploys paramedics on bicycles at major public
events where crowds can limit access and speed of response for normal
ambulance vehicles. This special operations unit was first implemented in Victoria in 1992. BCAS was one of the first North American Emergency
Medical Services agencies to organize and deploy paramedics on bicycles.
BCAS bike squads currently operate in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kamloops, as
well as their neighboring communities when required. |
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Term
| What is the Vital Link Award |
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Definition
The Vital Link Award is presented to citizens who are involved in saving a life through successful cardio-pulmonary resuscitation CPR) efforts. In 2008/2009, 52 individuals in B.C. were recognized as contributing to the
survival of a cardiac arrest victim with the presentation of the Vital Link Medal |
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Term
| What is the Good Samaritan Award |
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Definition
| The Good Samaritan Award is presented to individuals who have provided unselfish and humanitarian assistance during a medical emergency. In 2008/2009 20 people were presented with Good Samaritan Awards for the action they took to assist in an emergency. |
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Term
| What is the ACT High School Program |
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Definition
Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in B.C., accounting for more than one fifth of all deaths in the province. Research shows that a cardiac arrest victim is four times more likely to survive if CPR is administered by a bystander while paramedics are en-route to the scene. Students in B.C. are becoming well versed in this life saving skill,
thanks to the High School CPR Program, an initiative aimed at establishing CPR training in every secondary school in BC by 2010.
Made possible through a unique partnership between BCAS, the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation
(a national charitable organization dedicated to school-based CPR) and CUPE Union 873 (the union representing
paramedics in B.C.) the program will leave a lasting legacy in B.C. schools, ensuring that Grade 9 and 10 students continue to benefit from this valuable training.
The High School CPR Program has resulted in over 29,000 high school students in 156 secondary schools throughout B.C. being trained each year in CPR. |
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Term
| What is the P.A.R.T.Y. Program |
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Definition
In partnership with local health care providers, BCAS is helping educate B.C. youth about how to stay safe through the P.A.R.T.Y. Program (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth), a one-day, in-hospital, injury awareness and
prevention program designed to reduce death and injury due to alcohol, drug and risk-related behaviours.
Open to youth ages 16 and older, the goal of P.A.R.T.Y. is to provide teens with life-saving information about trauma that will enable them to recognize potential injury-producing situations, make prevention-oriented choices and adopt behaviours that minimize unnecessary risk.
Supporting the program are BCAS paramedics, who volunteer their time to lead P.A.R.T.Y sessions for Grade 10
students throughout the province. During these sessions, paramedics hold a mock-crash demonstration and describe in detail the process they go through when they attend a serious motor vehicle collision. Involving personnel and volunteers from Health Authorities, the RCMP, Auto plan brokers and ICBC, police, crash survivors, school districts and individual schools, this valuable public education initiative represents one of the ways BCAS paramedics continue to give back to their communities. |
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Term
| Where are ALS ambulances stationed |
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Definition
Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, New Westminster, Surrey, North Vancouver, Richmond, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. |
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