(Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

By CKOM News

EMS helps long-term care residents get out of Île-à-la-Crosse

May 18, 2023 | 8:55 AM

Helping wildfire evacuees get to safety required a full team effort from Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

On Tuesday morning, Île-à-la-Crosse issued a mandatory evacuation order for elderly people, people with respiratory issues, pregnant women and families with children under the age of two. A full evacuation of the community is expected to follow.

Eight EMS units from Île-à-la-Crosse, Buffalo Narrows, Beauval, La Loche, Meadow Lake, Big River, Rosthern and Medavie out of Saskatoon were dispatched to help 16 long-term care residents from Île-à-la-Crosse get to safety.

Seven of the residents were taken to Wilkie, while another seven went to Meadow Lake and the final two went to North Battleford.

“We used seven ambulances and one special operations unit to transport those residents from Île-à-la-Crosse to a safer area,” said Sherri Julé, director and chief of EMS in the north.

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She said EMS still has units in the area ready to help, and they will remain there for as long as possible.

“It was really a large team that supported the evacuation,” Julé said.

The crews battled through heavy smoke and poor conditions to ensure the long-term care residents were transported safely. Julé applauded their efforts.

“These crews went above and beyond to help out their communities, and they truly are heroes,” she said.