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Guardian Ambulance retires, sold to Medavie EMS

Residents familiar with Guardian Ambulance will see a change of the company logo.

Residents familiar with Guardian Ambulance will see a change of the company logo.

After 40 years of service, Guardian president said in a press release that it was time to retire, with a company based out of Dartmouth, N.S., Medavie EMS, buying out the emergency service.

“We have taken the opportunity to retire and believe that Medavie EMS is a great fit for our organization - sharing our vision of delivering the highest-quality care,” said Lance Holly, former president of Guardian.

“Medavie EMS has a proven track record of excellence and together with the Guardian team, will build on the strength of the loyal and dedicated employees who have made this organization a success.”

The purchase was approved by Alberta Health Services, effective April 1 and Medavie president Erik Sande said it was a pleasure working alongside Guardian.

“We look forward to building on the strong foundation of the team, as we continue on our journey to build healthier communities through innovative health solutions.”

Caitlin Walker, communications advisor for Medavie EMS, said the goal is to continue with the quality of care residents are used to expecting from Guardian. “We really just want to build on the strength of the team,” she said in an interview.

She said the company doesn’t expect any immediate changes to levels of service in the community.

Full time staff for Ponoka sits at six paramedics and eight emergency medical technicians. There are three ambulances based out of Ponoka taking in approximately 3,400 calls per year.