If there was ever any doubt that ambulance service in St. Albert is in far worse shape today than two years ago, an eye-popping 40-minute delay makes the situation crystal clear.
According to officials at Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club, it took 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the Campbell Park business and treat a woman with stroke symptoms.
This appalling time comes after data showed Edmonton-based ambulances respond to St. Albert calls within 22 minutes, five seconds 90% of the time — well below the city's historic target of nine minutes, 90% of the time.
City council has been quite vocal — and with good reason — about the poor quality of service compared to the days when St. Albert ran its own integrated fire/EMS service — before the provincial takeover of ambulance in spring 2009.
Today, the city still staffs and runs two ambulances, as per a contract with the province.
Read the rest of the blog post here.
