By Cheryl Jahn

City Hall wants more BC Ambulance Services

May 8, 2025 | 2:57 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s a common occurrence: the local fire department responding to medical emergencies. In fact, last year, the local fire department responded to thousands of calls.

“Last year, our crews were dispatched to about 6,600 medical-related incidents out of about 11,700 incident records,” recounts Fire Chief Cliff Warner.

And that has Council agitated.

Spruce Kings fall in Langley to Rivermen

19h ago

Sexual Assault and Harassment

Judge to rule on Canada Post employee's sexual assault and harassment case

Dec 13, 2025

Weather Alerts

Freezing rain warning issued for Prince George-area, snowfall warning remains for Williston, Pine Pass

Dec 13, 2025

At the most recent Intergovernment Affairs meeting, Council broached the challenge with both the City’s Fire Department and the BC Ambulance Service are responding to medical calls.

“Instead of the provincial government paying for medical services, it’s coming courtesy of property taxes,” explains Garth Frizzell, Chair of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. “And that’s not the way the Constitution is designed. So what we want to do is look at a fair separation of the costs. And this is the first step down that path.”

The Committee has drafted a resolution to head to Council for approval.

“The folks who are working in our ambulance service are incredible. They do remarkable work, and they keep people safe to keep people alive, but they don’t have enough resources,” says Councillor Kyle Sampson, author of the resolution.

Members of Prince George Fire Rescue are only one of six fire departments in B.C. that are trained at an Emergency Medical Response level. And the City will never not fund that, despite the costs.

“Our budget line item for fire service is huge,” says Sampson. “It’s one of our largest in the entire city. Why? Because we need to continually invest in that. Because it’s important. Because people expect it and because the Province’s underfunding the BC Emergency Health Services, and we are there to pick up that slack because people need to be kept safe and they need that service.”

A resolution was passed at the committee-level, calling on the Province to increase funding, staffing and resources for the BC Ambulance Service. The resolution will ultimately be passed through Council and onto the Union of BC Municipalities convention in September.

“So you’ll be seeing resolutions get in front of more than a thousand different locally elected officials. But also those resolutions go directly to the provincial government,” says Frizzell. “And don’t forget that in September, at that AGM, Councillor Ramsay is going to become the president of UBCM. So the issues we bring forward at that time will be going straight through one of our own councillors to the provincial government.”

However, Fire Chief Cliff Warner says, because of the complicated nature of the relationship and the good working relationship with BC Ambulance, the Fire Department will not change protocol, regardless of how well staffed and resourced the ambulance service is.