'Very scary situation': Fewer ambulances in Montreal this weekend due to staff shortage
Paramedics in Greater Montreal are stretched particularly thin this weekend, with nearly half the territory's ambulances parked due to a staffing shortage.
With 26 ambulances in Montreal and Laval not in use, Urgences Sante said calls are being prioritized according to their urgency.
"Calls where it's deemed that the person's life is not in immediate danger or there's no immediate risk that the person's health is going to deteriorate -- for those types of calls, there can be a delay," said supervisor Vanessa Grillo.
Managers are filling in, and paramedics from other regions are also helping out -- but that's only a temporary fix.
The bigger issue is finding and training more people to do the job.
"Paramedics for the last year were on strike," Grillo explained, which caused internships to be paused.
"It all weighs pretty heavily on paramedics," she said.
Retired paramedic Hal Newman runs the page The Last Ambulance, a journalism project from The Rover.
He said working when there's not enough staff is exhausting.
"My night would look like a living hell in terms of nonstop response, call after call after call, extended response times," he said.
Newman worries someone will fall through the cracks.
"We've all been raised with the idea that when we call 911, help is coming -- and now that's in question and that's a very scary situation."
Urgences Sante says it's doing what it can to recruit staff.
In the meantime, on this hot summer weekend, it's warning people to stay hydrated and drink responsibly.
Anyone in need of non-urgent medical care is asked to call 811 or go to the emergency room.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.