Efforts by Manitoba's paramedicine professionals to form a self-regulated college has sparked some concerns among a number of rural communities in the province.

Altona mayor Melvin Klassen says town council wants to know how self-regulation would impact the first responders program that the town wants to implement.
    
Klassen says that program would train some of their firefighters to provide medical aid if they arrive first at an emergency scene.

"There are situations where firefighters are first on the scene, and as first responders could provide some medical aid to stabilize a victim until paramedics arrive. Under self-regulation, it's quite possible that our firefighters would be required to become licensed paramedics in order to provide aid. That becomes costly, in terms of training time and money and could create a problem in rural Manitoba where ambulance response times are longer."

Klassen has been critical of ambulance services in the Altona area over the past number of years after several emergency incidents took 30 minutes or more for paramedics to arrive.

Klassen feels firefighters trained as first responders could provide some medical services during the time it takes for paramedics to arrive. The municipality of Emerson-Franlkin has already implemented the program through its fire department.

Town council will be forwarding a resolution to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities asking for the health minister to hold off on approving paramedic self-regulation until rural communities have been able to provide more input on the issue.