Officials from the County of Simcoe sounded the alarm Monday night about the Orillia Fire Department’s recent report concerning issues related to the county’s Quality of Care (QCP) program.
But after a lengthy and, at times, heated debate, councillors threw cold water on those concerns and voted to endorse the fire department’s program, renewing a three-year contract for medical oversight of city firefighters that will last until 2021.
The county made the extraordinary step of asking to speak at council after last week's report from Orillia’s assistant fire chief, Brent Thomas, was presented to city councillors. That report summarized timing and logistical concerns related to training and other facets of the county plan. Thomas recommended to city council that they opt not to join the county’s “pilot project” and to continue with the locally-developed program that is “best for Orillia.”
According to county officials, some incorrect information was included in that report.
“The report contained some inaccurate information about our program and we felt it was really important to clarify (that) to help you make an informed decision,” said Jane Sinclair, the general manager of health and emergency services for the County of Simcoe.
She and her colleagues - Andrew Robert, chief of paramedic services, and Dr. Michael Feldman, medical director of the paramedics program – presented an overview of their program to council. In the audience were six Orillia firefighters - including Thomas.
In essence, Sinclair noted, there were three inaccuracies in last week’s report. The county’s QCP is not a trial program, as it was characterized in Thomas’ report, she said, but rather a “fully developed program.” She also noted the training requirement for firefighters is 19 hours – not the 35 cited in the report. And, finally, she noted there is no cost associated with their training as they could provide the necessary training while firefighters are on duty.
Coun. Sarah Valiquette-Thompson said she felt the county was “overstepping” its bounds by coming to city hall, saying the issues should be addressed at the steering committee set up to shepherd the evolution of the county’s program. Thomas sits on that steering committee.
“Quite frankly, I feel very confident that our fire chief did a careful review and audit of the program that is currently very successful in Orillia,” said Valiquette-Thompson. “I just feel like bringing that information to our council is overstepping our fire chief and assistant fire chief. Those are the people we trust that are out there saving lives. I appreciate all this information but if this is all going to be brought to the steering committee … I’m not sure what this really is all for?”
Sinclair said the issues “absolutely will be reviewed at the steering committee” and stressed everyone is working toward a common goal.
“Our sole goal is patient safety and high quality (care). That’s it - the same as you. I’m sorry it has that appearance, but I have to say, being very candid here, that when we saw the report, after it had been posted on (the city’s website) … and read some of the information … about our quality care program, we felt it was very important that we clarify and you had the absolute accurate information because you are making very serious decisions about your services and there was some inaccurate information about our program.”
She said there was an “email attached” to Thomas’s report “that actually provided information contrary to what was in the report. That was very troubling to us and, quite frankly, we’re not clear why the information contradicts the information we provided.”
Coun. Ralph Cipolla asked if county officials had personally contacted Orillia Fire Department officials since last Monday’s meeting at which the report was tabled. They conceded they had not.
Sinclair defended the lack of personal contact.
She said it all happened “very quickly … again, in the spirit of being very candid and open here, we were surprised by some of the content in the report. It really took us off guard a little.” She said this is a “very unusual situation for us and we weren’t quite clear how to process this because it seemed blatant opposition to what we advised, so our first thought was we need to make sure you have all the accurate information about our program and go forward from there.”
In the end, council unanimously agreed to green-light continuation of the Orillia Fire Department’s program, which Thomas stressed “works for Orillia.”
After the meeting, Thomas said he was grateful for council’s endorsement but said he was “disappointed” with the approach taken by county officials.
As to their claims of inaccurate information, Thomas said he would have to “agree to disagree” with them.
“I was at the steering committee meetings. I was told certain things that were corroborated by the other (two) county fire chiefs on that committee. Those are the facts that were presented,” said Thomas, a former paramedic. “If they choose to think we think differently or interpret them differently, I can’t change that. I just know what was told to me.”
Thomas conceded he was “disappointed they brought these points forward.” He said the infrequency of steering committee meetings and the slow progress of the program’s evolution might have hampered communication.
“Due to the length of time between steering committee meetings, obviously changes are made to the program and not communicated to everyone because we haven’t had another meeting,” he said. “They used the term ‘pilot’ to see how it goes and the steering committee was going to evaluate it. Them making changes is certainly within their right ... but communicating out to members of the steering committee seems to be lagging.”
He also stressed this is not political. He noted that, over the past six months, Orillia firefighters arrived on scene before paramedics about 72 per cent of the time and “were at a patient’s side for 2:33 before the paramedics” arrived. “It’s all about the patient. If you go back to the implementation of the paramedic program in the 1990s, they required fire departments get involved in tiered response so we could (do) early CPR, early oxygen therapy, defibrillation … we’ve just continued with that model due to our good response times.”
County officials and local fire department officials said they would continue to keep communication channels open and left the door open for future co-operation.
In addition, Orillia CAO Gayle Jackson said she would request a written report from the fire chief in response to the county’s claims. She said she expects conversations will continue.
“I suspect there are ongoing conversations,” said Jackson. “Why we’re sort of at the stage we’re at right now, I’m a little confused as to why there’s some misinformation … (but) I think communication is happening through the steering committee.”
