Last night at Thompson City Council, John Maskerine, the director of Fire and Public Safety, presented the new revision of the ambulance service purchase agreement.

The agreement, made between the city of Thompson and the Northern Regional Health Authority, has been in place for decades. Maskerine says that the agreement gives first responders in Thompson a mandate with regards to training and making sure that the care they provide is at the highest level possible.

Maskerine said that the only thing worth noting that has changed from the previous agreement is the price of an ambulance for those without private health insurance. He told CHTM that the cost had previously been going up every two to three years. Manitoba Health has said that over the next four years they want to see the cost reduced to $250 for those without coverage.

The last revision of the agreement came back in 2014.