When Brian Winter became the only full-time paramedic in Cochrane in 1983, the town had a population of just over 4,000. Four decades later, that number has nearly quadrupled to over 37,000, yet emergency medical services (EMS) in Cochrane remain strikingly unchanged.
“From ‘83 to ‘90, I was the only full-time staff,” recalled Winter. “We had two frontline E-cars and one transfer vehicle. Volunteers or part-timers filled in the rest.”
In 1990, Cochrane added two more full-time paramedics in response to increasing call volumes. But since the province consolidated EMS services under Alberta Health Services (AHS) in 2009, growth in Cochrane’s emergency medical infrastructure has stalled — even as the town’s population has more than doubled.
Today, Cochrane Fire Station 151 houses a small AHS EMS team of six staff, two emergency ambulances, one transfer unit, and one spare vehicle. With such limited resources, when both ambulances are dispatched — often to communities outside of Cochrane — the town can be left dangerously vulnerable.
“Sometimes even the transfer unit is used for emergency calls,” said Winter. “Once all three are out, there’s often no immediate backfill from AHS. Citizens are left without 24/7 guaranteed emergency care — and that’s unacceptable.”
This reality has prompted Winter and other community members to label the situation an “EMS crisis.”
To fight for solutions, Winter co-founded the EMS Crisis Community Action Group (CAG). The group advocates for systemic changes based on four key pillars:
- No EMS flex coverage for areas outside Cochrane
- No hospital hallway wait-times
- No repurposing of emergency vehicles for non-emergency calls
- No over-taxation of paramedic personnel
“If we meet these four pillars consistently, 99.9% of the time there will be an ambulance available in Cochrane,” Winter said. “That’s what this town needs.”
In the absence of timely provincial reform, the Town of Cochrane has taken proactive steps to bridge the EMS gap. In 2023, Cochrane Council approved the upgrade of fire services to full-scope Basic Life Support (BLS) at the Primary Care Paramedic level.
“We’re ensuring residents get the best care possible in the absence of a provincial EMS system that is under repair,” said Mayor Jeff Genung during a June 26, 2023 Council meeting.
This Town funded initiative has been bolstered by the provincial Medical First Responder Grant (MFR), a funding dedicated to developing new medical first responder programs that builds community capacity in effectively responding to medical emergencies.
“What that allowed us to do is have the firefighters provide a broader range of medical interventions,” said Shawn Polley, Cochrane fire chief.
“This includes more advanced airway management, some medication administration and some cardiac monitoring. That was in nice alignment with what we had for staff and what we were hearing from some of our citizens—asking for an increased level of service.”
Additionally, in 2024, Alberta contracted Guardian Ambulance Ltd. and Associated Ambulance and Services Ltd.to take over non-emergency transfers in Edmonton and Calgary, a move expected to free up Cochrane’s limited EMS units for its own emergencies.
While these steps are seen as progress, Winter warns they are far from enough.
“If we’re talking about freeing up space, then our transfer unit should be upgraded to emergency status,” he said, “At least then we’d have three. We’ll keep advocating but it’s up to the province to solve this problem.”
To that end, CAG submits Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to analyze EMS performance data and determine whether its four pillars are being met. Winter also meets regularly — albeit with mixed results — with Anne MacDonald, Executive Director of EMS Provincial Operations.
“I try to meet with her two or three times a year,” he said. “She listens, takes notes — but nothing has changed. We’re still missing what we need.”
Winter has submitted another request to meet this June, but as of now, he has not received a response.
The Town of Cochrane is calling on residents to add their voice to the advocacy efforts.
“While the Town of Cochrane advocates for our community’s needs, your voice amplifies our efforts and personalizes our priorities,” reads a statement on the Town’s official website.
Citizens are encouraged to:
- Email government officials
- Share personal stories on social media, blogs, podcasts, or local media
- Engage with EMS advocacy resources
For more information and to take action, visit:
cochrane.ca/yourvoice/healthcareandEMS
