Superior North EMS workers are trying to keep pace with call volumes.

Despite Superior North EMS Chief Wayne Gates getting council approval Monday night for an expansion of hours for cars, local Unifor spokesperson Rob Moquin still says it’s not enough.

“Our call volume is showing that we can’t keep up to the pace right now,” states Moquin. “What was presented on Monday, we’re grateful for it, but we need more.”

Moquin tells Acadia News that just this week, the average utilization for an ambulance in Thunder Bay peaked at over 86 per cent, which means breaks are often late or don’t come, with crews having very little downtime due to rushing from call-to-call.

Gates told council Monday there’s a 911 call for EMS on average every fifteen minutes.

He added because of that demand, it does not take much to get into a code black situation, which means there are no ambulances available to respond when there is a call for EMS.