The service was in question early monday morning after at least 11 staff memberswere told their services were no longer needed by Mr. Carey after they refused to work a six-day-on, three-day off work schedule. Workers say they were fired, while Mr. Carey says they quit.
Mr. Carey said an office in Corner Brook will now handle routine calls such as patient transfers under the temprary emergency plan.
As of Monday afternoon, two crews of two paramedics were on their way to Port aux Basques to ensure at least two ambulances are ready locally for emergencies.
Mr. Carey said under the emergency plan, there will actually be three ambulances ready to respond to emergencies, while the company is only required to have two on call at all times for emergencies.
The company has also hired a taxi driver to assit them in locating addresses around the southwest coast. He said the driver will be sworn to confidentiality and patients privacy will not be affected.
Mr. Carey said the RCMP have been notified and they will assist as needed.
The Gulf News will have more details on the workers' dispute as the week goes on. Check back for updates as they become available, and watch for a detailed story in the Aug. 9 edition.
Editor's note: This version of the article was edited to remove a sentence saying the workers walked off the job.
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