November 7, 2025
RED FM News Desk
According to new data released by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), Alberta’s paramedics are logging tens of thousands of overtime hours each month.
The union says documents obtained through a freedom of information request show that EMS workers across the province have collectively worked more than 30,000 hours of overtime every month so far this year. Overtime now makes up between eight and 12 per cent of all paramedic hours worked in Alberta, the HSAA reports.
The records also reveal that Alberta Health Services (AHS) has failed to meet its total funded paramedic hours even once in the past three years—something HSAA vice-president Leanne Alfaro calls unacceptable.
“Paramedics across Alberta are being pushed to their breaking point,” Alfaro said. “This isn’t about taking on a few extra shifts—EMS in Alberta depends on overworked professionals who are often forced to work long, sometimes mandatory, stretches without proper rest.”
The issue, she added, is being made worse by Alberta’s rapidly growing population and a healthcare system struggling to keep pace.
According to the AHS documents, Alberta’s population grew by nearly 10 per cent between 2022 and 2025, while the number of paramedics only increased by 4.5 per cent. The total number of full-time advanced care paramedics remained unchanged during that period—840 in both 2022 and 2025.
“The data speaks for itself,” said Alfaro. “Paramedics are covering thousands of extra hours each month because there simply aren’t enough of them. Alberta can’t expect faster emergency response times while burning out its first responders. Fair pay and improved working conditions would help retain and attract these vital healthcare workers—and ultimately save taxpayers money.”
The HSAA, which represents more than 30,000 healthcare professionals including paramedics, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, psychologists, and diagnostic imaging technologists, says it’s awaiting a response from the province.
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