Lack of emergency responders at Eagle Plains, Yukon, halts its ambulance service
For the past 20 years, the remote Dempster Highway community of Eagle Plains, Yukon, had an on-call ambulance — but not anymore.
Whenever there was an accident that required immediate medical attention, the ambulance would be driven by workers at the Yukon Government highway maintenance camp, located at the Eagle Plains Hotel.
The camp's foreman was a trained emergency responder, and she would provide the medical care needed until a medivac helicopter arrived.
But since the foreman left Eagle Plains, the ambulance has sat parked in one of the camp's garages.
"We haven't got a replacement for that role," said Stan McNevin, owner of the Eagle Plains Hotel. "We're hoping that once a new foreman is appointed, or brought to Eagle, then that individual will have those skills."
McNevin said the ambulance is needed now more than ever as there's been numerous accidents along the Dempster Highway this summer. Last month there were two separate motorcycle accidents that occurred days apart. One of those accidents claimed the life of a man.
"I believe it's absolutely essential because of the increase, particularly in the motorbike traffic," McNevin said of the local ambulance service.
"We're seeing a lot more incidents on the road. Not necessarily in our section. Of course it happens in the N.W.T. and in the southern part of the Dempster, so the whole road needs some type of medical ability to help these people along."
McNevin said there was another motorcycle accident on the highway just last week.
"We were lucky enough to have a retired doctor up at Eagle so she was gracious enough to take him down to the hospital in Dawson," he said.
'You never know what could happen'
Cathy Brais was the foreman at the Eagle Plains highway maintenance camp. She said some years, the ambulance would be dispatched multiple times, and other years it wouldn't leave the garage.
Brais said when it was needed, a member of the highway crew would drive and she would provide the medical care.
"It was a very important role," she said. "Accidents happen. Anything can happen around that next corner. Could be animals, could be washboard, could be loose gravel. You never know what could happen up there."
An LNG tanker is seen on its side after it rolled off the Dempster Highway in 2019. (Yukon Highways and Public Works)
Ryan Soucy is the deputy chief of technical operations with Yukon's Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
He said the ambulance was a helpful tool to have for emergencies up the Dempster but it doesn't change the way Yukon EMS handles emergencies now that it's parked.
"We still have a very solid way that we respond," he said. "That ambulance wouldn't necessarily drive the whole Dempster. We respond in a coordinated fashion through Yukon EMS in Dawson — with helicopter response if that's the best response, to land response if it's at Tombstone."
Soucy said Yukon EMS is actively recruiting new members to fill positions, however he says finding people who want to serve as a first responder in a place as remote as Eagle Plains is challenging.
"We know that this is going to be a harder ambulance to fill," Soucy said. "But we've always worked very collaboratively with [the department of] Highways and Public Works with their highway maintenance crews for emergencies that take place."
In the meantime, Soucy said Yukon EMS will continue to use helicopter medevacs when responding to an emergency along the Dempster Highway.
"EMS will come no matter what where you are throughout the territory," Soucy said.