A local paramedic is calling the response to a fatal crash on the Sea to Sky Highway this month insufficient and is urging the province to invest more resources into the growing corridor.
CTV News is protecting the paramedic's identity because they're at risk of losing their job by speaking out.
The Jan. 2 crash killed two people and injured six more.
The paramedic believes the critically injured victims weren't given the appropriate care fast enough.
"The air ambulances were dispatched to the most appropriate patients… But there are only two air ambulances in this area," they said. "And six of those patients could have benefitted from an air ambulance."
The rest of the patients had to be transported by ground. Some bypassed the local hospital and went to major trauma centres quite a distance away.
Now, the paramedic is sounding the alarm on what they call a growing crisis on the front lines. They say Sea to Sky region is growing faster than its emergency resources can handle.
"It’s an issue that’s close to my heart, because my family is here," they said. "The Sea to Sky is under-resourced with paramedics and ambulances, without a doubt."
Could more resources be brought to the growing region?
Part of the problem is that BC Emergency Health Services considers the region rural even though it's close to Metro Vancouver and frequented by both tourists and commuters.
BCEHS maintains its response to the fatal collision followed protocol, but said the Sea to Sky region is on its radar for change.
"Yes, we have a higher call volume that's happening," said director of operations Samantha Wilbur. "We are looking at how we deploy ambulances first off, so it's using our resources better."
Traffic emergencies in the corridor are steadily increasing by about 50 more calls every year. But there aren't enough yet meet the threshold for additional air support, Wilbur said.
She added it's still not very common to have "mass casualty events" such as the crash in January.
In addition to more air support, the paramedic wants to see more first responders in the region.
There are currently four full-time and 29 working part-time paramedics working in Squamish. The closest advanced care unit is 60 kilometres away in North Vancouver. That unit has 29 full-time paramedics and 14 part-timers.
The region often calls in extra resources from surrounding municipalities. Tyson Lehmann is an advanced paramedic who is occasionally dispatched to the Sea to Sky corridor.
"We’d make it off and up towards Lions Bay, and sometimes Britannia Beach and Squamish, just to provide more resources to an area with limited resources," he said.
He understands there's an argument to have additional higher level paramedics in rural areas, but also said it can be difficult for those people to maintain their skills in isolated postings.
But he thinks if the Sea to Sky is getting busier, it might be time to add an advanced care provider.
"We all drive that stretch of highway," he said. "And we all want to see it be safer."
Last week, 30 more full time paramedic positions were announced for Vancouver Island. Those on the front lines in Squamish hope the Sea to Sky region will be next.
