Heat dome moves toward Alberta after shattering temperature records in B.C., N.W.T.

[daftandbarmy]

I got a heads up from my friend in the RCMP that things were falling apart before it hit the press, the people on the ground could see it happening.

Speaking of 'heads', there's a petition for scalps...

​

Fire BCEHS COO Darlene MacKinnon​

We need to fill those ambulances with paramedics. We need the police and firefighters freed up from long waits for (too few and too busy) ambulances. We need paramedics to receive equitable pay so they don't have to get another job to pay the bills. Pay them as though your life depends on it!

Please consider signing this petition

BC suffered a record breaking heat wave this past weekend, one that proved to be deadly, with over 500+ (and counting) deaths attributed to it by the Coroner's Service. Not only was this heat wave deadly, it was PREDICTED A WEEK IN ADVANCE. And the BCEHS Senior management team did NOTHING to prepare.

Paramedics on duty reported going from hopeless cardiac arrest to hopeless cardiac arrest, the patients having waited hours for help before dying. Dispatch staff reported hundreds of calls waiting in queue to be dispatched, and callers waiting up to 17 mins to have their 911 calls be answered.

Despite ample warnings raised by staff about the potential for massively increased call volumes, BCEHS did not upstaff any ambulances or dispatch centers, did not permit its paramedics to wear more weather appropriate uniforms, and did not even acknowledge the crisis until it was in its 4th day! The acknowledgement was in the form of a faceless email memo "permitting staff to wear tee shirts and carry water bottles". This was followed up by an emotionless media interview by COO Darlene MacKinnon, who stated "I think we did a really good job".

(That should say Paramedics did a "really good job" despite crap conditions, impossible odds and low numbers and thanks for the police and firemen who filled in for employees we don't have enough of because they needed paying jobs... Just my opinion-

Sign the Petition

Fire BCEHS COO Darlene MacKinnon

www.change.org

 

[Jarnhamar]

Were the majority of deaths from homeless people stuck outdoors?

 

[mariomike]

Were the majority of deaths from homeless people stuck outdoors?

I wouldn't know. But, I think the elderly living alone are particularly vulnerable. The "shut ins."

Of course the homeless are as well. But, if they are in public view, I would assume someone seeing them in distress would call it in.

The August 2003 heat wave in France resulted in many thousands of excess deaths particularly of elderly people. Individual and environmental risk factors for death among the community-dwelling elderly were identified. We conducted a case-control survey and defined cases as people aged 65 years and older who lived at home and died from August 8 through August 13 from causes other than accident, suicide, or surgical complications. Controls were matched with cases for age, sex, and residential area. Interviewers used questionnaires to collect data. Satellite pictures provided profiles of the heat island characteristics around the homes. Lack of mobility was a major risk factor along with some pre-existing medical conditions. Housing characteristics associated with death were lack of thermal insulation and sleeping on the top floor, right under the roof. The temperature around the building was a major risk factor. Behaviour such as dressing lightly and use of cooling techniques and devices were protective factors. These findings suggest people with pre-existing medical conditions were likely to be vulnerable during heat waves and need information on how to adjust daily routines to heat waves. In the long term, building insulation and urban planning must be adapted to provide protection from possible heat waves.

August 2003 heat wave in France: risk factors for death of elderly people living at home - PubMed

The August 2003 heat wave in France resulted in many thousands of excess deaths particularly of elderly people. Individual and environmental risk factors for death among the community-dwelling elderly were identified. We conducted a case-control survey and defined cases as people aged 65 years...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Weinie]

I wouldn't know. But, I think the elderly living alone are particularly vulnerable. The "shut ins."

Of course the homeless are as well. But, if they are in public view, I would assume someone seeing them in distress would call it in.

August 2003 heat wave in France: risk factors for death of elderly people living at home - PubMed

The August 2003 heat wave in France resulted in many thousands of excess deaths particularly of elderly people. Individual and environmental risk factors for death among the community-dwelling elderly were identified. We conducted a case-control survey and defined cases as people aged 65 years...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I'm waiting for "Blame Stephen Harper."

 

[daftandbarmy]

Were the majority of deaths from homeless people stuck outdoors?

Nope. Same demographic that suffered the most from COVID 19 e.g., Old People with other conditions:

Anger grows over B.C. Emergency Health Services' handling of heat wave that left hundreds dead​

BCEHS management's decision to open its 24/7 Emergency Coordination Centre on the day the heat wave ended is one of several criticisms

An online petition is seeking the ouster of the head of B.C. Emergency Health Services over the agency’s handling of the heat wave crisis in Metro Vancouver last week that left up to 500 people dead.

That is almost one third of the number of people in B.C. who have died from COVID-19 in the past 15 months and hit mostly the same demographic — seniors with existing health conditions in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions.

The petition on change.org had been signed by 4,400 people by Sunday evening.

The petition claims that the agency responsible for ambulances in B.C. knew several days in advance that an unprecedented heat dome was going to establish itself over Metro Vancouver yet no adjustments were made to staffing or in dispatch.

It wasn’t until Tuesday, the day the heat wave ended, that B.C. Emergency Health Services opened its emergency co-ordination centre, according to internal memos sent to front line workers and seen by Postmedia News. And it wasn’t until two days later, Canada Day, that paramedics were offered overtime shifts.

Paramedics were also told Tuesday that they would be able to wear navy T-shirts on shift and would be allowed to carry a water bottle.
Paramedics belong to the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. Union Local 873 and according to its collective agreement mandatory overtime is permitted during unusual emergencies.

The shocking depth of B.C.’s unprecedented heat wave was revealed last Wednesday when the province’s chief coroner reported that hundreds of people had died suddenly over the past five days — and those that had succumbed to the heat were mostly seniors found alone in oven-like homes.

Two days later, Lisa LaPointe updated the tally, stating there were 719 unexpected deaths reported to her agency between June 25 and Canada Day — almost 500 more than usual with almost all attributed to the heat.

There were reports of people in distress waiting several hours before an ambulance arrived. Sometimes, when paramedics finally arrived, the caller was dead.

Union president Troy Clifford told Global News that the union was embarrassed by BCEHS leadership and had a meeting scheduled with Health Minister Adrian Dix to discuss staffing shortages and to address archaic rules like that in which rural paramedics are paid $2 an hour when they are on shift and only get paid a full wage when they are on a call.

In a prepared statement, the Ministry of Health said it had invested “massively” in the ambulance service, increasing the BCEHS budget from $424 million in 2017 to $560 million in 2020.

It said June 28 was the busiest day in the history of the service, with 1,975 ambulance dispatches.

The BCEHS did not provide comment by deadline.

Anger grows over B.C. Emergency Health Services' handling of heat wave that left hundreds dead

BCEHS management's decision to open its 24/7 Emergency Coordination Centre on the day the heat wave ended is one of several criticisms

vancouversun.com

 

[mariomike]

Paramedics were also told Tuesday that they would be able to wear navy T-shirts on shift and would be allowed to carry a water bottle.

That was kind of them. There was a time we couldn't even unclip our clip-on ties.

Metro Police the same. Long-sleeve shirts, neck-tie, hats on in the car, Sam Brown belt.

Although the vests they wear now don't look very comfortable either.

At least the ambulances were air-conditioned. Not the police cars.

That was once upon a time. But, seems like yesterday.

 

[CBH99]

I have never seen a place more beautiful than the Arizona desert in Spring.

Edit to add. Yes, I know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Flagstaff AZ is in the high ponderosa country. It's 7,000 feet above sea level and has pleasant summers. Would I live in that state? I most certainly would!

Actually I did go there one winter on a family vacation once, years ago. As a winter vacation getaway? Absolutely!! Temperatures weren’t too bad, and it really was beautiful! (We were Scottsdale snobs for a week or two)

Winter getaway? Absolutely. There during the summer? I realized I would melt or just catch fire.

39’C here last week, and I couldn’t function. No appetite. No motivation to workout. I would sit at my desk and start on paperwork, and my forearms and elbows would mark up the paper from sweat within seconds. The dog and I would do some good long walks at nights, during the day he didn’t want any of it either.


Global warming debate aside - it was never this hot when I was growing up. Screw this

(I’m probably wrong about the above - but I remember 25’C was a solid hot day when I was growing up. I’m going to have to find a summer getaway location, rather than a winter one, soon!)

 

[mariomike]

Actually I did go there one winter on a family vacation once, years ago. As a winter vacation getaway? Absolutely!! Temperatures weren’t too bad, and it really was beautiful! (We were Scottsdale snobs for a week or two)

Winter getaway? Absolutely. There during the summer? I realized I would melt or just catch fire.

After air-conditioning replaced swamp coolers, the Phoenix - Scottsdale area became much more popular. But, even the water temperature in swimming pools can become so warm in summer that it is hardly refreshing.

I wanted to buy a retirement property in the high desert, outside of Tucson, in the Oracle, Globe, Miami ( AZ ), Superior area. But, my wife wouldn't go along with it.

Global warming debate aside - it was never this hot when I was growing up. Screw this.

I don't remember being bothered ( much ) by the heat. I do now. Maybe it's part of the aging process?

 

[daftandbarmy]

I've been to Kitsilano beach and am wondering if that smell was all 'sea creature' related


Billion seashore animals may have died during B.C. heat wave, says marine biologist

When Chris Harley went for a walk at Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach in late June amid B.C.’s record-breaking heat wave, the stench of rotting seashore animals hit him before he reached the water.

At the shore, the University of British Columbia marine biologist found thousands of mostly dead mussels, as well as sea stars, clams, snails and barnacles.

“It smelled off and the shore would crunch when you walk, which is not the usual sound you want to hear,” he said. Generally, mussels can support a person’s weight, he said, but empty shells can’t.

Harley estimates that more than a billion seashore animals living along the shore of the Salish Sea may have died during June’s extreme heat, which has also been linked to hundreds of human deaths.

Harley arrived at his estimate by determining roughly how many mussels — the dominant animal on the shore — could fit in a small area and scaling that up to the approximately 7,000 kilometres of Salish Sea shoreline, stretching roughly from Port Renfrew around the east coast of Vancouver Island to Campbell River.

Most seashore animals can survive the high 30s, with barnacles persisting even in mid-40s, Harley said. While temperatures on the coast rose above 40 during the heat wave, it was even hotter in mussel beds, where Harley measured temperatures over 50.

Billion seashore animals may have died during B.C. heat wave, says marine biologist

When Chris Harley went for a walk at Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach in late June amid B.C.’s record-breaking heat wave, the stench of rotting seashore animals hit him before he reached the water.

www.timescolonist.com

 

[lenaitch]

After air-conditioning replaced swamp coolers, the Phoenix - Scottsdale area became much more popular. But, even the water temperature in swimming pools can become so warm in summer that it is hardly refreshing.

I wanted to buy a retirement property in the high desert, outside of Tucson, in the Oracle, Globe, Miami ( AZ ), Superior area. But, my wife wouldn't go along with it.




I don't remember being bothered ( much ) by the heat. I do now. Maybe it's part of the aging process?

I do think things have trended warmer but I do think age has a part to play. I patrolled in the days before a/c and early body armour and survived, but it seems now days, the slightest activity in humidity sucks the soul out of me.

I was down in the Phoenix area several years ago in early November working and found it extreme hot. Less so if you were out of the direct sun ("it's a dry heat"). Some of the locals said even they didn't like being there in the summer and headed to the northern part of the State. We're not much for 'snowbirding' but if we would, she would want to go to Florida, which I would have no part of, and I would want to go to the US s/w, which she would have no part of, so we're kinda stuck.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I do think things have trended warmer but I do think age has a part to play. I patrolled in the days before a/c and early body armour and survived, but it seems now days, the slightest activity in humidity sucks the soul out of me.

I was down in the Phoenix area several years ago in early November working and found it extreme hot. Less so if you were out of the direct sun ("it's a dry heat"). Some of the locals said even they didn't like being there in the summer and headed to the northern part of the State. We're not much for 'snowbirding' but if we would, she would want to go to Florida, which I would have no part of, and I would want to go to the US s/w, which she would have no part of, so we're kinda stuck.

Kinda nice out here right now

Victoria, BC Current Weather - The Weather Network

Get Victoria, BC current weather report with temperature, feels like, wind, humidity, pressure, UV and more from TheWeatherNetwork.com.

www.theweathernetwork.com

 

[dapaterson]

So your compromise will be somewhere in Oklahoma?

 

[lenaitch]

Kinda nice out here right now

Victoria, BC Current Weather - The Weather Network

Get Victoria, BC current weather report with temperature, feels like, wind, humidity, pressure, UV and more from TheWeatherNetwork.com.

www.theweathernetwork.com

The west coast is a tad pricy. I could actually move there but not in terms of a 'snowbird' situation. I've always viewed vacation properties, like cottages, just another place to work and spend money on.

Actually, if it wasn't for our daughter being back here, I could easily see us in Nova Scotia full time years ago.

So your compromise will be somewhere in Oklahoma?

Naw, the compromise is stay here and grumble about the snow. We were never much 'winter people' but I tolerate it better. I always said they could never send me to a place small enough or far enough north to scare me; her not so much. Although I do find as I get older, snowblowing loses its magic.

 

[mariomike]

I was down in the Phoenix area several years ago in early November working and found it extreme hot. Less so if you were out of the direct sun ("it's a dry heat"). Some of the locals said even they didn't like being there in the summer and headed to the northern part of the State. We're not much for 'snowbirding' but if we would, she would want to go to Florida, which I would have no part of, and I would want to go to the US s/w, which she would have no part of, so we're kinda stuck.

They say it's ok for a man to cry at funerals - and The Grand Canyon.

They also say in Phoenix you almost need oven mitts to touch your metal seat belt buckles, or steering wheel. In fact I read their State Police cars have white steering wheels for that reason.

 

[daftandbarmy]

He sounds really contrite, or not....

How NDP gov't handled heat wave and wildfires needs to be looked into​

Opinion: Despite this week’s admissions to being “a bit jolly and giddy,” Premier Horgan cautioned against blaming the government for dropping the ball on heat wave, wildfires.

The B.C. government was so caught up in celebrating the latest phase of the COVID-19 restart last week that it was caught off-guard by the record-setting heat wave and the early start of the wildfire season.

“It was a convergence of a whole host of issues at the same time, without any doubt,” Premier John Horgan told reporters Tuesday when asked about the “perfect storm” combination of pandemic, heat wave and wildfires.

“We were a bit jolly on (June 29) I have to say,” conceded Horgan, referring to the day he confirmed via a media conference that B.C. would move to Phase 3 of the restart plan. “We were a bit giddy at the prospect of saying goodbye to the state of emergency and stepping into the third step of our restart plan.”

Jolly and giddy? While the chief coroner was already compiling what would prove to be a record number of deaths from the heat wave? With the ambulance service already overwhelmed with emergency calls?

“We didn’t think of it as catastrophic hotter weather, we thought of it as hotter weather,” Horgan quibbled. “Warnings were there to be sure and we did our best under the circumstances. The health authorities had plans in place. They acted upon those.

“Emergency Health Services were not able to meet the volumes, which were at record highs by the way. People getting out and doing more, becoming injured, accessing emergency services. All of those challenges were a perfect storm.”

The premier included Health Minister Adrian Dix, Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth and even provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in the mood of excessive exuberance around the restart announcement. But that isn’t borne out by the transcript of the June 29 media conference. It was Horgan who took the victory lap, boasting of B.C.’s “extraordinary results relative to other jurisdictions in Canada (and) other jurisdictions of our size internationally.”

He did mention in passing that “we are in the midst of the hottest week British Columbians have ever experienced.”

But when asked by a reporter on June 29 why B.C. wasn’t doing more to address the already mounting death toll from the heat, the premier replied: “Fatalities are a part of life … It was apparent to anyone who walked outdoors that we were in an unprecedented heat wave. Again, there’s a level of personal responsibility.”

He would later walk back those comments on social media.

Despite this week’s admissions to being “a bit jolly and giddy,” Horgan cautioned against blaming the government for dropping the ball.

“It’s not a failure of the government,” he insisted Tuesday. “It’s a failure in a time of great stress and anxiety. There’s no fault to be apportioned.”

What about the people who do blame government?

“It’s a crisis situation. People are going to be unhappy. I get that and it’s not personal,” replied Horgan. “I don’t want people to hold back. I know that some leaders have been harsh. We have reached out and continue to reach out to them and we’re going to do the best we can.”

Vaughn Palmer: How NDP gov't handled heat wave and wildfires needs to be looked into

Despite admission to being “a bit jolly and giddy” about COVID, Horgan cautioned against blaming gov't for dropping ball on heat wave, fires

vancouversun.com

 

[Brad Sallows]

I wonder what people expect. None of our "systems" is designed to have capacity for 100-year events. Paying the same number of people more money (as some have advocated, thereby not letting the crisis go to waste) does not actually increase capacity. The short-term weather forecasts were correct, so everyone who matters, including people capable of thinking for themselves, should have expected high temperatures and planned accordingly.

I suppose the provincial government could move the slider a tiny bit by making everything associated with climate control tax- and levy-free and encouraging people to do more to prepare themselves for both abnormal high and low temperatures.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I wonder what people expect. None of our "systems" is designed to have capacity for 100-year events. Paying the same number of people more money (as some have advocated, thereby not letting the crisis go to waste) does not actually increase capacity. The short-term weather forecasts were correct, so everyone who matters, including people capable of thinking for themselves, should have expected high temperatures and planned accordingly.

I suppose the provincial government could move the slider a tiny bit by making everything associated with climate control tax- and levy-free and encouraging people to do more to prepare themselves for both abnormal high and low temperatures.

This was a huge public health failure at the highest levels, evidenced by ambulance waits of 11+ hours due to poor planning/scheduling etc

B.C. heat wave leads to 11-hour ambulance wait time, spike in sudden deaths​

'We’re experiencing probably the busiest 48 hours we’ve had on record,' says Vancouver Assistant Fire Chief

A heat wave paralyzing huge swaths of British Columbia has stretched emergency services in several municipalities to the brink — in one case, Vancouver firefighters have waited 11 hours for an ambulance crew to arrive and transport an elderly person suffering heat exhaustion to the hospital.

Just before noon Tuesday, firefighters were still waiting.

“We’re experiencing probably the busiest 48 hours we’ve had on record,” says Assistant Chief Ken Gemmill at Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. VFRS later confirmed it’s seeing a three-fold increase in call volume over the last few days.

The night before, Gemmill says the department had every vehicle out of the department’s fire halls and on-call, with most of the demand driven by people suffering heat illnesses.

While an 11-hour-and-counting wait is an extreme, on many other calls firefighters waited for an ambulance for over six hours, says Gemmill.

The waits have been so long many residents have showed up at fire stations across Vancouver begging for first responders to attend to their loved ones.

“I know that the public is getting frustrated. I know with this extreme heat there’s not enough personnel to go around,” says Gemmill. “We’re experiencing some desperate measures by our citizens for sure.”

‘INCREDIBLE CRISIS’​

BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) has seen a 25 to 50 per cent spike in ambulance dispatches across the province over the last several days, says Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia.

B.C. heat wave leads to 11-hour ambulance wait time, spike in sudden deaths

'We’re experiencing probably the busiest 48 hours we’ve had on record,' says Vancouver Assistant Fire Chief

www.vancouverisawesome.com

 

[Brad Sallows]

Why is a long wait a "failure" if the "system" is already working close to maximum capacity?

 

[OldSolduer]

Why is a long wait a "failure" if the "system" is already working close to maximum capacity?

Because people expect to have Fire, Rescue, Ambulance, Police services within in a minute - just like the movies and TV. The average citizen doesn't care about response time or capacity until it affects them.

 

[YZT580]

Why is a long wait a "failure" if the "system" is already working close to maximum capacity?

I haven't seen any reports evaluating the pre-planning process in this. Did the government contact health care centres to warn them and tell them to prepare? Did they open quick response depots with water and fans made available? Did they issue a bulletin asking people to check on any seniors or shutins that they knew to ensure their safety or move them to a better location? Did they tell the same group to ensure that air conditioners were operating? etc. If they didn't they should be charged with negligence, if they did, then they did what they could