Regional Program deems two Emergency Response Units Need Replaced

A regional program that helped improve emergency response times in rural areas has been deemed a success.

So much so, that the region needs to replace two of its emergency response units sooner than expected.

The region dispatches dodge ram pick up trucks to emergencies in rural areas as a buffer until ambulances arrive.

They can carry a patient on a stretcher through rural lanes that ambulances have difficulty getting to.

The two units are based at stations in Baden.

Head of the region's emergency services John Prno says overall, the program helps decrease response times by two to three minutes.

The region improved a plan last week to replace the pick ups with smaller, more fuel efficient SUVs.