March 11, 2021
New Emergency Medical Services Station Planned in Gillam
– – –New Station Will Support High-Quality, Responsive and Sustainable Emergency Services
The Manitoba government is investing $994,000 in a new emergency medical services (EMS) station in Gillam as part of the continued commitment to building a more effective and integrated emergency response system, Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson announced today.
“When minutes count, Manitobans need access to safe and reliable emergency response services, no matter where individuals in need are located in the province,” said Stefanson. “That’s why we are making this important investment to create a new operational hub for the paramedics positioned in Gillam and surrounding communities.”
The new 2,200-sq.-ft. station will be located at 104 Nisku Bay in Gillam and will include a two-bay garage for the ambulances, as well as offices, crew quarters and space for staff training.
“In an emergency, the quickest way to access high-quality, life-saving care is by calling for an ambulance. From the moment that call is answered, emergency response services are providing advice and care, while paramedics are dispatched to the caller’s location,” said Darren Baker, northern director of EMS, Shared Health. “This new station will give staff a dedicated space for training exercises, which will further enhance the service provided to Manitobans in our northern communities.”
This investment builds on government’s commitment to implementing recommendations from the 2013 EMS System Review, the minister said, adding that design is underway and the construction is expected to begin mid-June 2021 as weather conditions allow by Marwest Construction Ltd. Occupancy is anticipated by the end of October 2021, she added.
Other recent provincial investments and initiatives in emergency services include:
• building a new EMS station in Selkirk to serve the Interlake–Eastern health region for a total investment of $4.2 million and construction is currently underway;
• building a new EMS station in Portage la Prairie to service the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region for a total investment of $3.0 million and construction is currently underway;
• purchasing 65 new ambulances in 2019, which represented a refresh of approximately one-third of the province’s overall fleet;
• reducing ambulance fees in the past four years by approximately 50 per cent to $250, making emergency care more affordable and accessible;
• creating an additional 149.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) paramedic positions since 2016 including 35 FTE positions in 2019; and
• declaring paramedicine to be a self-regulated profession.
For more information on emergency medical services in Manitoba, visit:
www.gov.mb.ca/health/ems/index.html and https://sharedhealthmb.ca/services/emergency-response/.
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