Less than first responders at the airport

Matthew Payen

Tuesday, 19 December 2017 20:45

UPDATE
Tuesday, 19 December 2017 20:45

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The health of the passengers is in danger, report of the first respondents from the Montréal-Trudeau Airport, who claim that six of the seven full-time positions of their team, will be abolished on 8 January.

According to two first responders and their union, now only one first responder will be in the position continuously for eight to ten hours per day to help the people in distress. Information ned the department of communications Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).

“Currently, the airport is the best place to have a heart attack, but it’s going to change “, launches a first respondent who requested anonymity to not jeopardize his job.

Firefighters

First responders form currently a squad of 14 people in total who commute by bicycle. These are the members of the airport Security employees by the firm Garda and trained to ” provide advanced first aid “, boasts the website of the airport.

This specialized unit responds to 2,500 emergency calls per year and makes it on the scene in three minutes, on average.

As of 8 January, in addition to the sentinel, the fire department and sector heads who will give first aid, according to the union.

“We don’t want to cry wolf, but we had a real squad and then we broke out the interventions in several groups,” says Nathalie Arguin, secretary-general of the Federation of employees in public services.

speed of response

For his part, Garda said Tuesday that ADM did not ask them to cut it in the service of the first respondents.

For the first two respondents to whom The Journal spoke to, it is unthinkable that the firefighters, who are based near the slopes, can go as fast as them on the location of an emergency in the airport.

“The speed of response is the key. Last year, we rescued four people who had heart attacks, ” said a first responder who wishes to also remain anonymous.

– With the collaboration of Francis Halin

The number of passengers transiting at the airport of Montreal is up 9.4 % over the first 9 months of 2017, compared to 2016. Last year, 16.6 million passengers landed or took off.