​Client:Announcements
Date:August 02, 2011

BCAS has worn white uniform shirts since its inception over 37 years ago, however, the white shirts must be replaced frequently due to discoloration and stains, and the material does not hold up well to the day to day wear and tear of paramedics. With feedback from the staff consistently echoing these concerns, BCAS conducted a staff survey to change uniform. With more than 70 per cent of the feedback in support of changing the white shirts the decision was easy.

“BCAS is pleased to make this investment to support our staff in providing patient care” says Chief Operating Officer Les Fisher. “We also believe that that the new shirts are a huge improvement in quality which will mean improved durability and cost savings”.

The initial conversion represents an acceleration of cost that would otherwise have been incurred over time as the existing shirts were replaced by paramedics. In addition, by changing to a darker, higher quality shirt, BCAS is expecting to realize longer-term cost saving through reduced orders for replacements shirts. Experience with the identical shirts and manufacturer in Calgary has shown the shirts to last up to three and four times longer than the current white shirts.

“I really like the new uniform shirts”, says Cloverdale Unit Chief and Paramedic Andrew Billing. “They are definitely better looking, but they also feel good, are easy to get on and off, improving our response times and they match what other EMS agencies in Canada and across North America are wearing.”

The new shirt is made of a fibre blend that allows the material to be more durable as well as wrinkle and fade-resistant. The shirt also has darts on the front and back to allow it to look crisp with minimal maintenance, as well as a hidden zipper that will enable staff to don it faster when responding to a page or if the shirt has been removed for other reasons, such as station cleaning. Changing to a dark blue shirt will help to ensure that BCAS paramedics present themselves in a consistently professional looking manner with a minimum of maintenance. The change in material and colour also reflects what is currently the industry standard in Canadian EMS agencies.

For More Information
News Release: BCAS Paramedics Get New Uniform and New Look​