Triaging the Climate Crisis: An Investigation Into B.c. Paramedics’ Perspectives on Climate Change Impacts and Evidence-based Adaptation Measures

This project investigates B.C. ambulance workers’ perspectives on the impact of climate change, focusing on how environmental hazards affect their response and the health of the communities they respond to. While previous literature highlights the extensive impacts of the climate crisis on human health in clinical hospital settings, it largely overlooks the frontline, pre-hospital environment where paramedics are engaged. To what extent are paramedics seeing climate hazards impact their operations and the health of their patients, and what solutions would be beneficial at both an organizational and policy level? To answer this question, I conducted an original survey (109 respondents) and interviews (3) with British Columbia Emergency Health Service (BCEHS) Employees. Results show a high level of interest by paramedics in climate adaptive measures. Ambulance workers perceived environmental hazards such as flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat as having an extensive and worsening impact on both emergency responders and the public, and they expressed a strong desire for proactive planning. I conclude with a set of proposals for BCEHS, along with regional and provincial planners.