June 9, 2022
CALGARY - An independent review will be conducted into the EMS response to a dog attack in Calgary on June 5.
This was a tragic incident, and we would like to offer our condolences to the family, friends, and neighbours of the Calgarian who died.
We would also like to express our gratitude for the neighbours who called 911 to report the incident, and who provided support to the patient during an extremely difficult time.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has done an internal review into the EMS response. AHS believes that further independent review is needed to ensure that any opportunities for improvement are identified. AHS will be inviting other responding partner agencies to participate in the review.
The independent review will look into the events surrounding the calls to EMS dispatch, call handling protocols inside EMS and with other agencies, ambulance response time, and availability of ambulances at the time.
The review is expected to take approximately four months, and results will be shared publicly.
AHS is also conducting a quality assurance review, which is designed to identify areas where the overall system response can be improved and strengthened with the goal of improving patient care.
We are grateful for the work of the dispatch team, the care provided by our paramedic crew, as well as our public safety partners who assisted in this event.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
