Tuesday, February 18th, 2025
Fredericton, NB – The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB), the New Brunswick Association of Fire Chiefs (NBAFC) and the Paramedic Association of New Brunswick (PANB) say the timing is right for systemic changes to the paramedic system in New Brunswick. Municipal leaders express ongoing concerns with the lack of consistent presence of paramedics in their communities due to the dynamic deployment model, and lack of resources being directed toward responses in rural areas. Fire chiefs point to a dramatic increase in fire departments responding to paramedic calls as evidence the current structure is not meeting the demands.
The paramedic association, municipalities, and fire chiefs all suggest that these long-standing structural issues must be addressed now, to lay the groundwork for a positive change as the provincial ambulance service contract approaches renewal in 2027.
“Our members are concerned about the delays in response time and the overall structure of Ambulance New Brunswick (ANB)” said UMNB President, Brittany Merrifield. “Our members want to see a review of the service to ensure the shortcomings, including the increasing fire department response to medical calls, are addressed before heading into any contract renewal discussions.”
Data reported by fire departments to the Department of Justice and Public Safety shows approximately 157,000 fire department assist response calls since 2010 in community health zones across the province. According to President of the Fire Chiefs Association Scott Poupart, the rise in calls to support first aid, lift assists, and other medical emergencies have spiked in recent years.
Scott Poupart says, “Our members are feeling the pressure from increased medical response calls across the province. Whether it is assisting ANB with medically needed lift assists or complex medical responses, we need to work together to find a solution within the paramedic system for these unsustainable demands.”
The UMNB supports the need to assess community requirements to ensure better delivery of paramedic services, to understand regional healthcare demands and improve response capabilities. Additionally, the UMNB supports a fulsome consultation process with all municipal governments prior to 2027 to ensure that transparent and accessible paramedic services are available to all residents, regardless of location.
Phil Comeau, President of the PANB, says, “Concerns raised by the fire chiefs and municipalities should be taken seriously and are consistent with what paramedics experience every day. We all know that the current structure isn’t meeting demands, and we need to redesign it.” Comeau continues, “These challenges are ongoing and have been well documented by the 2020 Auditor General’s Report – this is a good opportunity for us to come together and fix our system with a community-based model.”
PANB remains committed to advocating for systemic change and ensuring that New Brunswick’s paramedic services are structured to provide equitable care to all citizens. The reliance on municipal fire services to ensure emergency response is not sustainable or safe. Government’s commitment to reforming the paramedic system would be well received by the UMNB, the NBAFC, and the PANB.
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For Further Information and Media Inquiries:
Union of Municipalities New Brunswick – Briana Cowie (briana.cowie@umnb.ca)
Paramedic Association of New Brunswick – Chris Hood (chris.hood@panb.ca)
New Brunswick Association of Fire Chiefs – Roger Pitre (rpitre1889gsf@gmail.com)