The City of Grand Forks is getting a brand-new ambulance station, thanks to funding from the provincial government.
Once complete, the new facility aims to address challenges faced by rural paramedics, such as overcrowding and outdated infrastructure.
The current two-bay station accommodates 16 staff members and four ambulances. The aging building, according to Boundary-Similkameen MLA Roly Russell, offers limited space for paramedics to take breaks and do their jobs properly.
“That station is problematic and is challenging for them to do the work that they want and need to do for all of us, so there’s been lots of advocacy to try to figure out how we can move towards an upgraded station for them.”
The upgraded facility will feature four bays, offering more space for training, rest, and better working conditions to ensure local paramedics are well-supported.
Russell added that the new station should also help with the recruitment and retention of rural paramedics by making Grand Forks a more attractive place to work.
“Our first responders are so important, and they need a comfortable place to be as well. So when we’re looking at doing work around recruitment and retention, we have to make sure that the conditions for them are also enticing.
Hopefully, these changes will help make it a much more attractive place to work, so that once they come here, they want to stay, and we can continue to attract new paramedics to the area.”
The project is currently in its design phase, which Russell said is being done collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure the design suits the needs of the people using the building.
The project is expected to be complete by 2026.
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