Medical Services at Incidents

Forestry and Parks is responsible for managing wildfires within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. To support wildfire suppression efforts, the Province requires Medical Services to be provided on an “as-needed” basis with no guarantees of work. Successful Proponents shall provide medics, medical unit leaders (MEDL), first aid supplies and supplemental kit items, emergency transportation, and first aid rooms as requested by the Province. Proponents must ensure their staff comply with the Health Professions Act and corresponding regulations, the Occupational Health and Safety Code in effect, and are registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics. Medical Services may be required in any of the following forest areas as requested by the Province: Calgary, Rocky Mountain House, Edson, Whitecourt, Grande Prairie, Peace River, High Level, Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, and Lac La Biche. See the “Documents” section on the Alberta Purchasing Connection website for the Forest Protection Area and forest area boundaries. Successful Proponents shall be paid a daily rate per medic or medical unit leader regardless of the numbers of hours worked in the day (i.e., there is no overtime). The successful Proponents will be paid be paid for general holidays at an overtime rate of 1.5 times the rates listed in above for actual hours worked on any one of the nine general holidays recognized by Alberta Employment Standards Code and not the rate specified in the Code. The daily rate should consider that standard hours of operation at a wildfire are 14 consecutive hours (or less) in each day however, this amount can be extended up to 18 hours for the first three (3) days of an uncontrolled wildfire and only when circumstance warrant it. If fireline operations are occurring for a 24-hour period, the Province would request additional medics to cover overnight operations. The operational period will have the medic positioned at their designated work site (e.g., staging area, command post, etc.) while firefighting resources are actively working. After the operational period has ended for the day, the medic will return to Camp, treat any illness and injuries and will remain on standby until the next operational period. During this standby period at Camp, the medic will only be contacted if there is a medical emergency. The MEDL is an Incident Command System (ICS) position, and the position is responsible for managing the unit including staffing, supplies, and establishing procedures for non-urgent care and medical emergencies. The MEDL does not provide patient care, and therefore does not need to be registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics, but the MEDL should understand the competencies and scope of care of each medic. The MEDL will work within the incident management team and will establish the unit and medical procedures for the wildfire. See the “Documents” section on the Alberta Purchasing Connection website for the roles and responsibilities of the MEDL. Successful Proponents will provide staff that are trained at their expense, to deliver the Services throughout the province, and will ensure their staff are equipped with all necessary personal protective equipment and supplies needed for their profession. Proponents will also ensure their staff are equipped with a tent and additional items required for tenting.