Paramedic Specialist

Paramedic Specialist (PS) – Paramedic specialists are based in Vancouver dispatch and provide 24/7 clinical and technical support province-wide.

Paramedic specialists provide:

• Clinical expertise to dispatch staff across all three BCEHS dispatch centers
• Clinical support for paramedics on active 911 events where the diagnosis is unclear, there are multiple potential treatments, or there is a significant change in the patient’s condition
• Escalation of cases to emergency physicians through the Emergency Physician Online Support (EPOS) program as directed by the treatment guidelines
• On-scene Technical Advisor (TA) expertise for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRNE), and high-risk hazard (HRH) events
• On-scene support for a variety of 911 calls • Clinical prioritization of identified calls; upgrades and downgrades • Reviews of significant and pending event calls
• Support to 911 callers with call backs to patients for further clinical assessment and advice
• Reviews of scheduled inter-facility and non-medical transfers to determine if paramedic care is necessary To ensure clinical experience is continually being integrated into dispatch, paramedic specialists spend one third of their time in the dispatch center and the balance in Specialized Response Units (SRUs).