The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor In an emergency, it has been said without exaggeration, every minute counts. Which is why health officials are so enthused over Flin Flon's new ambulance station, now due to open in the spring. 'The new station will be capable of quicker response times,' said Glenn Hildebrand, spokesperson for the Northern Health Region. 'By having the EMS staff and the ambulances located in the same physical space, we will be able cut the time between being dispatched and leaving the station by as much as 50 per cent.' Paramedics are currently based out of Flin Flon General Hospital, with the ambulances parked in a garage in the lower level of the facility. The new station, situated at the former Ross Lake Market Garden site, will house both staff and ambulances around the clock. Hildebrand said the central location will also help reduce response times throughout the area. He said the new station will shave minutes off response times. And time savings are not the only advantage. The new station is able to fit all three of Flin Flon's ambulances, rather than just two, keeping the vehicles out of the elements when not in use. Hildebrand said the new building features improved infection control, with 'better facilities' to clean and disinfect equipment. He said there is also better air quality. 'We'll have better ventilation for vehicle exhaust in the new station,' Hildebrand said. 'That's better for our staff from a workplace, safety and health perspective.' Other benefits Hildebrand cited include: The ability to better store equipment and perform training within the station; a better, cleaner environment for staff; and it is 'a new, modern state-of-the-art EMS station that will serve the region and its citizens for years to come.' Construction is expected to wrap up next week on the new station, but paramedics won't be moving in until the spring. Hildebrand said it will take until the spring to set up and make the facility full functional. 'There will be a grand opening but that date has not been determined yet,' he said. The 27,000-sq-ft facility is being built with a budget of $850,000 funded entirely by the Manitoba government.
