Ontario firefighters could administer drugs under new pilot project
Posted August 14, 2015 9:47 am.
Last Updated August 14, 2015 12:37 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A recent proposal to allow Ontario firefighters to give patients medical treatment has the province’s paramedics seeing red.
The Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association is proposing a pilot project that would see firefighters get trained to administer five kinds of drugs, meant to relieve symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath.
Carmen Santaro, the president of the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association, says the drugs are for symptom relief of the most common health issues.
The five drugs are:
- EpiPen for allergies,
- aspirin for pain,
- nitro spray for chest pain,
- ventalin for asthma and
- glucose for diabetes.
The province’s Liberal government says it is reviewing the proposal and is in the process of making a decision based on the best available evidence. The two-year pilot project would involve firefighters, some of whom are already trained as paramedics, taking a 20-hour training course to give patients drugs before paramedics arrive on scene.
The project would take place in eight cites. There is a shortlist of 12 cities but no firm decision has been made. The association said Friday that new cities – including ones not on the current shortlist – could be chosen.
The following 12 cities are on the current shortlist: Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Guelph, Kitchener, Mississauga, Oakville, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto (not all districts), and Vaughan.
If Toronto was chosen, only one district would be used for the pilot project. That way, it could be measured against a neighbouring district to get a clear comparison.
The paramedics’ union says it will be targeting leaders of communities that would be subjects of the pilot project at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in Niagara Falls next week.
Chris Day, the vice-chairman of CUPE’s ambulance committee, says paramedics have “grave concerns” about patient safety and firefighters ability to diagnose patients and administer medication with such little training.
