Island EMS has grown its staff of paramedics with 17 new hires this spring, but as P.E.I.’s new community response units ramp up, the company says it is “always looking for more.”
Grant Atkinson-Hardy, the operations manager for integrated health programs with Island EMS, said the company that runs the province’s ground ambulance service has about 160 paramedics right now.
“We are growing,” he said. “As with all professions and all workplaces, there’s an amount of turnover that is expected. Our profession is a demanding one … both mentally and physically. But with these 17 new employees, we are gaining.”
The majority of the new staff are graduates from Holland College’s primary care paramedicine program, he said.
“But we do have folks who come to our service from outside Holland College as well,” Atkinson-Hardy said. “We have folks that have chosen to locate to P.E.I. for whatever reason, or perhaps maybe they’ve chosen to move home.
“To add 17 to our system is a significant impact. That really allows us to be able to make sure that our units are staffed .. and to be able to let our staff have some well-earned vacation time.”
