“Regardless of the additional hazards COVID-19 poses, they must continue their usual duties on top of enforcement and education surrounding Public Health Orders. In most cases, service demands placed on our frontline first responders have increased significantly over the course of the pandemic.”
Edmonton Police Service. Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia, file
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Associations representing Alberta police are calling on the province to ensure first responders have timely access to COVID-19 vaccines.
In a statement on behalf of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) and the Alberta Federation of Police
Associations (AFPA), AACP President and Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee and AFPA President Curtis Hoople said they are asking the province to look at expanding Phase 2 of vaccine rollout to include frontline first responders.
Currently, police are not defined in Alberta’s vaccine plan.
“First responders play a critical role on the frontlines of the pandemic, frequently interacting with the public
and our province’s most at-risk and vulnerable populations,” the statement reads.
“Regardless of the additional hazards COVID-19 poses, they must continue their usual duties on top of enforcement and education surrounding Public Health Orders. In most cases, service demands placed on our frontline first responders have increased significantly over the course of the pandemic.”
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“Timely vaccination not only assists in mitigating any adverse effects the virus may have on staffing and service levels but also helps ensure the safety of personnel and the general public with whom they regularly interact.”
In a separate statement, Edmonton Police Association President Michael Elliott wrote to Premier Jason Kenney, asking for the consideration of police in the vaccine rollout. He cited a recent protest at the Alberta Legislature on Feb. 21.
“Our members were forced to interact with hundreds of protesters who were not following Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Government of Alberta guidelines and placed themselves in a situation where they may have been exposed to COVID-19,” Elliott wrote.
“Our members have been diligent in protecting themselves from a potential exposure however, to date 139 members either contracted or have had to isolate due to public interactions. This is 139 too many, especially when there is an opportunity to have our front-line members vaccinated.”
He implored Kenney to reconsider the province’s current implementation of COVID-19 vaccine to include police members, saying “neglecting our women and men who protect and watch over all citizens is disheartening, disappointing, and unimaginable.”
All parties said they are open to discussing their concerns with the province.
