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• I retired from BCAS in 2019 but still to this day (July 2023) feel I am undervalued. I feel I was unsupported at every turn during my career, and when I retired no one even said goodbye or thank you for 36 years fulltime service.
  In 2001 I entered the Advanced life Support (ALS) program and I ended up quitting during my final exams due to the abuse I was put through. I was going through a divorce at the time and my employer, instructors and preceptors knew full well what I was going through, yet they went out of their way to make things more difficult for me.
  After I left the program some of them went up to a friend and stated “We knew Iain was going through a lot and should have helped him more”. They never approached me however.
  One call I was “assessed” on: A sudden death, 76 y/o woman found by her 95 y/o mother. The 76y/o wasn’t viable for resuscitation so after my assessment, I asked everyone to pick up their equipment, I called for police to attend (as was the procedure) and I went to inform the mother her only relative was now dead. I managed to have her understand what had happened. I spent 20 minutes with her as she busied herself offering me tea and cookies, not understanding her daughter was dead. I was taught where someone had died and there was nothing could be done for them, the living now becomes the patient. I ensured this woman was medically ok and tried to console her as best I could.
  One of the BLS members came into the room and I passed her onto him, I asked him to stay with her until the police and victim services arrived.
  I returned to the ambulance and started my documentation. One of my preceptors, sitting in the front of the ambulance, half turned to me and said “That was a 4 word call, She’s dead, let’s go”. I mentioned this to instructors and was met with shrugged shoulders and received zero support.
  December 31, 2017 I was asked to sit in at ECOMM as a liaison with police, fire, and city officials during the New Year’s events going on in Vancouver. ECOMM provided me with a scribe; they expected a lot of information that evening. My manager did not provide me with a computer to monitor dispatch and crew activities. Every 45 minutes or so the group would report their findings. When they came to me I could only report I had no information, I was deaf and blind, I had no way of obtaining information. I phoned dispatch and was told they were too busy to tell me anything. I phoned my manager and BCAS IT and was told there were no computers available and they left me hanging.
  The members of the ECOMM panel asked me to make sure I wrote a report, they supported me and made me feel it was not my fault but I had been let down by my management.
  I submitted my report and the feed back I received from my immediate supervisor was that our director was “Tired of hearing from disgruntled employees”.
  There was an incident with a possibly toxic substance that may have been brought to the station by an unwitting employee. I arrived at work to ready myself (shower and dress) only to be told the station was closed, no one allowed in. My uniform was in my locker, I did not have a replacement at home, yet I was chastised for not being ready to work. We were out of service for several hours until we got cleared by the CDC that there was, in fact no danger. The manager reopened the station and I was allowed to get ready. When I was ready the manager accused me of being the reason for the delay. All I wanted form the beginning was to get dressed and go to work.
  I loved helping people and met some amazing individuals, I loved what I did for my career, but I would not recommend BCEHS/PHSA as an employer.
  There was a saying; “To see how much you were valued when you leave, stick your arm in a bucket of water. When you pull it out look at the impression you leave behind.”
  That is how much BCEHS values employees.
  I don’t know why I am writing this as I believe no one cares anyway and nothing will come of it.
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  Posted on 15 July 2023 by Rater #186 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Best Job in the world or 5000 employees wouldn't work here. But do not go in with blinders, there is harassment, inadequate leadership, poor payroll - mistakes every check, poor wages, short staffed, overworked and under appreciated. But still the best job in the world   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 4 December 2022 by Rater #185 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• You need to revise this questionnaire to have minus ratings. I would have said minus at least 4 to most of these questions. BC ambulance doesn't even deserve the 1 star I gave it. Absolutely the worst employer I have ever had in my 35 year work life.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 16 November 2022 by Rater #184 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• While there are some serious flaws in the structure, pay and retention. It’s still an amazing job. There are some real
  gems hidden among the rubble in management and I found that positive feedback was actually fairly common. I have always felt supported from a mental health perspective, am happy to have some great initiatives like CIS and paramedic educators in place. I do think that overall the service is going in the right direction even if it is happening painfully slow.
  My only major complaint is the lack of correct and consistent pay!
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  Posted on 6 November 2022 by Rater #182 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• I had to fight to prove a mental health injury and received NO support from this employer. My pay cheque has not been correct in years. Blanket policies and procedures based on individual error, and no ability to excel or advance without putting out thousands of my own dollars. Way too much subjectivity and favoritism in the promotion selection process. Employer has little understanding of our job, our abilities and our capabilities.
  Training my memo most of the time, with little engagement, other than discipline, from management.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 5 November 2022 by Rater #181 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• A payroll system that has not paid paramedics properly for years. Promised incentives not delivered. No repercussions for people who are useless at the job. Failed staffing models. Critically understaffed.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 5 November 2022 by Rater #179 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Worst employer ever. Bullying, harassment, intimidation. Just a regular day at bc ambulance. People with no management experience or education run the service. Promotions based on who can discipline the most people for trivial issues. Overworked. Underpaid. 0 appreciation or recognition for a job well done. Global pandemic stressing you out here’s a discipline letter for not mopping one boot print off the drivers floor in a rainstorm when you’re already 1 hour past hour shift. No one in government cares about us. Part time vs full time ACP vs PCP harassment is common. Inner cliques if you don’t kiss ass or flirt you’re screwed no matter if you’re the best paramedic out there.
  
  Stay away from this employer. Go to university become an RN or join fire or police if you want emergency services   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 16 September 2020 by Rater #176 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Terrible managers. This company runs in spite of itself. With the horrible management, this company should have gone belly up along time ago but due to the dedication of the bottom level employees, it keeps going.
  I am 20yrs ,working for the company and it’s managers are still mostly awful.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 29 April 2020 by Rater #174 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• This is an organization that puts zero value in its employees.  

  Posted on 16 July 2019 by Rater #173 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• have worked for them for 39 yrs. best job in the world run by complete morons. you never know from one minute to the next what plan we have or direction we go on.
  bcehs/phsa =disaster, for our pts and the public in general. too many lofty ideas without thinking it through and anyone who speaks up is taken out very selectively in house in a very clandestine and dirty manner all the while preaching ethics and respect. pitiful to say the least.medals and awards handed out to the select chosen ass kissers and dumbies in the group.the hard working average medic who shows up and delivers is just cast to the side in favour of a group of select nitwits. steer clear of this system, if new, you will want to run into the hills.
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  Posted on 18 January 2019 by Rater #172 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• The job is great, management is absolutely horrible. Staation level management is usually great but horrible after that. Although there are some signs of things changing they need to dump all the deadwood managers and hire some with actual management training rather than just using poor people with great butt kissing skills   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 7 June 2018 by Rater #168 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• This is a major provincial company that is run terribly. If BCAS was in private industry, they would fail and be out of business in a year. The managers are generally terrible with minimal care for staff. There are many who ignore provincial standards and run their own little kingdoms that they rule. The other scary thing is the number of substance abusers who take 'something' to deal with the stress of the job and the shift schedule. It is a shame that the general public thinks BCAS is good when they are sadly misinformed and not aware of how horrible the business model is. I strongly suggest people seriously look into the service prior to joining and consider other organizations to join. By the way, I have been in the service since 2003 and the only reason I stay is to support the small community I live in... but even that is becoming challenging with the increased 'drama' in the service.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 7 April 2018 by Rater #167 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• I have never worked for a more ungrateful, disrespectful employer than this one. The way they handle their employees is reprehensible at best!!!  

  Posted on 30 December 2017 by Rater #166 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• This employer has a great Mission Statement sadly, patients and employees are at the bottom of the list of priorities. Great crews...are ignored, shoved aside and the old boys club, nepotism rises to the top with the help of the corrupt Union.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 7 October 2017 by Rater #165 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Managers are allowed to make what ever mistakes they choose and the only way to go about correcting those is through the grievance process with a union that tells you it will take to long and wont be worth it. Basically you are left to correct mistakes you weren't responsible for and have to fight every day for a job you earned. I stay because I love to help people and have compassion for the patients we treat, I just wish the management would implement the same Values they list on their website.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 1 August 2017 by Rater #164 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Paid $2/hour for most of the time I'm at work, no guaranteed shifts meaning if I make myself fully available for a month I could get 0 shifts or 30 shifts, no benefits, no sick days, 14 hour night shifts that can easily go 15-16 hours, and because the ambulances in my area got called in to cover a larger city the people in the area I was working in had no effective ambulance coverage making them frustrated with our response times and often asking "what took you so long"?
  Also you have to wait 5 years for the possibility of a full time job and at the point you have to move to Vancouver. For that first 5 years it is possible to make a living if you spend 50-90 hours a week at a station waiting for a call. During that time you have no benefits, no sick days, and for most of your time at work you get $2/hour. The only reason I didn't put 0 in all the ratings is because the lowest rating you can give is 1.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 5 March 2017 by Rater #162 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• By far the worst employer I ever had. Treat employees like garbage especially if you are part time. With that comes no benefits, no regular wage. (Ranges from 2-11 dollars an hour unless called out) even though working side by side with full time employees paid a regular salary and receiving full benefits and holidays even though all are equally trained and qualified. Management and union executive are unbelievably disconnected from the employees.
  If you love this type of work go out of province!! Don't be like myself and many others whom stuck around hoping one day PHSA or BCAS would eventually come around and improve our working conditions only to be disappointed yr after yr....
  BCAS doesn't want to be in existence any longer and appears to be setting up for self failure is the only explanation for such an inepetly run organization. I feel the government hopes for alternate service providers to come in and take over....   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 13 August 2016 by Rater #161 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• I worked for BCAS for 10+ years part time. No chance of ever getting a full time position unless you're willing to take your family and move around. Management did not listen to concerns or suggestions from employees. The Union was useless except for keeping bad eggs in the basket as long as possible. I had enough after 10 years of Kindergarten and changed occupation.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 13 August 2016 by Rater #160 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Very poorly managed and underfunded. Employees are overworked, neglected and abused.
  
  Do not foresee any improvements in the near future. Would never recommend anyone to join this outfit.  

  Posted on 13 August 2016 by Rater #158 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Have worked a total of 16 years (11 full time) for BCAS. Unfortunatly I have very few positive comments to make so will refrain from making any.  

  Posted on 13 August 2016 by Rater #156 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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