According to a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request made by Discover Airdrie to Alberta Health Service Emergency Medical Services (2022-G-023), between January 2021 and January 2022, Airdrie Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to 7,666 emergency events in Calgary out of a total 12,474 calls. 

This means that Airdrie EMS responded to over 60 per cent of emergency calls to Calgary and only 30 percent in Airdrie, with another 8 percent to other municipalities. During the same time period, Airdrie EMS would respond to 3,759 emergency events in Airdrie. It should be noted the data obtained includes operational unit responses (en route timestamp or later), even if they have been cancelled on their way to the scene (for any reason). 

The highest number of calls that Airdrie EMS responded to in Calgary was in December 2021, with a total of 841 responses, while within Airdrie, there were 253 responses.  

Other municipalities that Airdrie EMS responded to included Acme; Balzac; Banff National Park; Beiseker; Bowden; Canmore; Carstairs; Chestermere; Clearwater County; Cochrane; County Of Newell No. 4; Crossfield; Didsbury; Heritage Pointe; Hinton; Irricana; Langdon; Mountain View County; Nakoda; Okotoks; Olds; Red Deer; Rochon Sands; Rocky View; Strathmore; Sundre; Tsuu T'ina Nation #145; Wheatland County, and those totalled 1,049 responses between January 2021 and January 2022.  

On average, Airdrie EMS units responding to Calgary grew steadily from 43.5 per cent of the total monthly calls in January 2021 to 71 per cent in December 2022, though it should be noted that the volume of calls also grew from 662 to 1,175 respectively. That dropped down slightly in January 2022 with 68 percent of monthly calls responded by Airdrie EMS units in Calgary to 68 percent. The only time that Airdrie EMS responded to more calls in Airdrie than in Calgary was in January 2021.  

 

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When it came to EMS Unit Relocation Requests, Airdrie EMS Units were requested to relocate to Calgary 1,055 times between January 2021 and January 2022. Conversely, Calgary EMS units were requested to relocate to Airdrie 279 times. The data does indicate however that Relocation (RL) unit status was not an actual EMS unit relocation, only a request for allocation to another station to provide coverage. 

In total there were 2,440 requests to Airdrie EMS units over the stated timeframe, which also includes 161 relocation requests to Airdrie EMS from other municipalities including Carstairs; Cochrane; Didsbury; Msd Manchester; Olds; Red Deer; Rocky View County; Strathmore; Sundre; Unknown/Other

EMS units from the former municipalities were requested to relocate to Airdrie 945 times. Other Units include: Carstairs;Chestermere;Cochrane;Didsbury;Drumheller;Innisfail;Linden;Olds;Priddis;Red Deer;Rimbey;Strathmore;Sundre;Sylvan Lake;Three Hills

The highest number of relocation requests occurred in July 2021, with 136 requests made to Airdrie EMS units to relocate to Calgary. During that month, there were 28 requests of Calgary EMS units to relocate to Airdrie. The lowest number of relocation requests were in January of 2022 when Airdrie EMS units were requested to relocate to Calgary 33 times, while 10 requests were made of Calgary EMS units to relocate to Airdrie.  

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Discover Airdrie also requested the time that Airdrie EMS Units spend in Off Load Delay or Transfer of Care Status. Off Load Delay, according to The National Library of Medicine, “occurs when the care of incoming ambulance patients cannot be transferred immediately from paramedics to staff in a hospital emergency department (ED).” Between January 2021 and January 2022 Airdrie EMS units spent a total of 1,186.26 hours due to Off Load Delay. The longest time recorded was in June of 2021, with a total of 122.4 hours recorded for the month, while the second-highest time recorded was in December of 2021, with 121.39 hours recorded. When it came to Transfer of Care, between that same time period Airdrie EMS Units spent 670.33 hours in Transfer of Care duties, with November 2021 being the highest, with 73.73 hours recorded.  

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In the span of 365 days, the average time Airdrie EMS spent in Off Load Delay was 30.7 hours a day.

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