About

About the Alberta Medical First Response Program

Medical First Response (MFR) agencies are key partners with Emergency Medical Services (EMS). They provide timely aid to patients during emergencies and support EMS when requested.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has a responsibility to ensure patients receive safe care and that medical first responders are trained, prepared and supported to provide that care.

AHS and Alberta Health, in collaboration with an expert advisory panel, have developed a provincial model for Medical First Response. It formalizes the standards of medical care provided by MFR's across the province, building on the good work our partner providers are already doing to help patients.

Communities will decide what level of response is offered by their local Medical First Response agency. While agencies must meet program standards, registration with the Alberta College of Paramedics is not required.  Municipalities and agencies can choose if they wish to participate in the MFR program based on community interest, resources and ability to respond to medical calls.

We understand that having local medical response is vital, no matter how big or small a community is.  Our priority is to work with and support response agencies and enhance the services they are capable of providing to ensure Albertans get the best care possible.

Key Principles 

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has developed a provincial model for Medical First Response (MFR).  It  formalizes what medical care is provided by medical first response agencies to ensure quality patient care.  We worked with a medical first response expert advisory panel and their input, based on their experience and expertise, helped determine what types of training and qualifications should be required for medical first responders.

The goal is to build on the good aspects of the current services and support current medical first responder providers, to ensure safe care is provided to patients.

The advisory panel developed the following key principles for the program:

• Development and implementation of the provincial MFR program is patient-focused and evidenced based with AHS accountability for the delivery of safe patient care.
• Municipalities and organizations have the ability to determine whether or not they wish to participate in the MFR program based on their community interest, resources, capacity and ability to meet the program patient safety standards
• Level of care in a community is determined by the level of training of the MFR providers and in congruence with the MFR program standard.  Level of care beyond the standard is considered in discussions between the community and AHS EMS Leadership and EMS Medical Directors
• Research evidence, skill level and training determine which events MFRs respond to in their individual communities.
• The partnership between each MFR agency and AHS, along with roles and responsibilities, is captured in a service agreement and reflected as membership in the provincial MFR registry
• The MFR program is based on best practice model and includes; medical oversight, medical care protocols, quality assurance/improvement and patient care documentation
• It is recognized that first responders play a number of roles in their community and the MFR framework only describes those events where AHS requests an MFR response and the medical first responder is engaged in patient care

For more information

Please click here to read the FAQ.

To read the MCPs (Medical Control Protocols), click here.

To review Program standards, click here. 

If you have questions, you can reach out to the MFR Program by filling out the contact form here or by emailing MFR@albertahealthservices.ca.