Alberta Health Services has issued a response to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reporting a "Red Alert" on Thursday, January 20th, prompting Airdrie's Fire Department to transport patients.
 
 
The release states that EMS was extremely busy throughout the Calgary Zone on Thursday, for a number of reasons including slippery sidewalks.
 
"Like all areas of the healthcare system, EMS is feeling the pressure of the peak of this Omicron wave. In two instances yesterday afternoon in Airdrie, the fire department made the decision to transport two patients to the Airdrie Urgent Care Centre."
 
The statement underlined that Airdrie Fire Department firefighters are trained paramedics.
 
"We appreciate the partnership we have with the fire department and thank them for their support. AHS EMS reacted quickly to yesterday’s high call demand. Specifically, to ensure critical patients continue to receive immediate care, AHS EMS actively re-assigned supervisors to the frontline and first responder roles, as well as consolidating the care duty for patients awaiting transfer to the emergency department."
 
EMS also paused non-urgent Inter-Facility Transfers and instead used these ambulances to respond to 911 calls. AHS has offered any EMS staff willing to work overtime.
 
"This will further augment the additional staff and ambulances that we have filled in recent weeks."

According to the statement, AHS will be updating the public on actions being taken to support EMS next week.

"We understand and appreciate Albertans are concerned. Together with frontline care teams in our hospitals, and our fellow first responders, we are continuing to prioritize all those in critical need, and seeking all avenues of reducing EMS response times.