After responding to more than 100 calls in eight days, the paramedic rapid response team deployment in Fort St. James is ending today (Dec. 16).
The team was originally deployed on December 9 on a four-day mission to help with transferring patients between medical facilities during a surge of COVID-19 cases.
An additonal team was deployed for a second four-day mission on December 12 to continue to support the community.
“The Rapid Response Team says they were constantly humbled by the Fort St James community’s continuous generosity and gratitude. It kept the paramedics’ spirit high during long shifts with heavy call volume,” said B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) spokesperson Sarah Morris.
Morris added more than half of the calls the paramedics responded to were patients requiring transfers from the community to a higher level of care.
Despite the mission coming to an end, BC EHS will continue to monitor the status of the outbreak in the community, and additional resources have been committed.
An additional ambulance and equipment, available through the provincial surge plan, is coming to Fort St. James as well as two paramedics from Vancouver Island.
“The additional ambulance is key to support the high volume of patient transfers in the community, including COVID-19 patients needing transfers out of the community and into hospitals that can provide more specialized care than what is available locally,” explained Morris.
The additional resources will remain in the community until December 24, she added.
The paramedic rapid response team can be deployed at any time, depending on the need.
The Rapid Response Team deployment in #FortStJames is ending today. BCEHS will continue to support #PatientCare in the community w/ an additional ambulance, equipment & #paramedic crew. The Team can be deployed at any time as the need warrants to communities across B.C. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/IwvP2DnZlA
— Emerg Health Services (@BC_EHS) December 16, 2020