- Capital Daily
- Posts
- Aug 3 - Paramedics make plea for help
Aug 3 - Paramedics make plea for help
Police use less-lethal bullet to subdue suspected gunman near City Hall
Capital Daily Team
August 03, 2025
Good morning !
We’re halfway into our holiday weekend.
There’s another chance to catch Symphony Splash today!
Our first story is about first responders, some of whom, it seems, are among the last to be taken care of, according to a union representing BC paramedics.
We have our weekly roundup.
And for our Insiders, an uplifting story about sweatpants, dresses, and rising above cancer.
— Mark
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
BC ambulance paramedics’ union sounds mental-health alarm
Photo: Ambulance Paramedics of BC
The workers who rush to serious situations to save others can use some help themselves, says the union representing 6K BC paramedics and dispatchers.
Nine paramedics have passed away from various causes this year, and while most of those deaths were due to health issues or accidents, many died by suicide, “deaths that are very likely connected to the immense stressors of their jobs,” the union said.
“We are witnessing unprecedented levels of mental-health and wellness claims amongst our members, and now, a significant and heartbreaking increase in suicides,” Jason Jackson, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC (APBC), said in a release.
According to the APBC, almost one-third of its paramedics and dispatchers are either on leave from work fighting mental-health issues or working while undergoing mental-health care.
Jackson called those numbers “staggering” and linked their challenges to a heavy workload, understaffing, and an increase in call volume.
The union said its members responded to nearly one million calls last year, and that it’s only getting busier.
“From the pandemic to the never-ending opioid crisis and even the devastating heat dome, on top of our already busy regular calls, our members simply never get a break,” Jackson said.
Jackson said he understands that people make career choices, but the relentlessly busy nature of the job right now is unprecedented.
He said BC paramedics and dispatchers work in one of the largest, busiest, and most geographically diverse ambulance services in the world, and that staff are dedicated professionals who work around the clock to keep people safe. However, emergency response workers need to feel safe so they are healthy and able to go to work, Jackson said.
“We need solutions, and we need them now,” he said.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Closed tomorrow: City Hall, most banks and businesses, and Crystal Pool. No waste collection.
Symphony Splash road closures & parking restrictions.
Langford beach advisories lifted. [Glen View Park & Leigh Place Beach] Banfield, Thetis, Prior, Elk, and other lake advisories remain.
August events happening in Greater Victoria. [Capital Daily]
CORRECTION: In a story that appeared here in Friday’s newsletter, we erroneously wrote that area hotel occupancy had increased by 74% last June. That figure should have read 7.4%.
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
