Abbotsford fire department has instructed Abbotsford Regional Hospital authorities to address safety risks due to congestion in the emergency ward and hallways.

Mike Helmer, deputy chief of Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service, said he has attended ARH twice in recent months to address safety concerns around overcrowding in the ER hallways.

In one instance a nurse, and in another, a doctor called the fire department with safety concerns after extreme congestion in the emergency ward forced a high number of patients into hallway beds, said Helmer.

"The concerns are absolutely justified. [ARH] is a very safe building but if emergency and exit corridors are obstructed, it can endanger staff, patients and visitors," he said.

"Hospitals are quite dynamic places. Halls are never perfectly clear but you have to maintain a safe aisle [for emergencies]."

AFRS's latest visit to the ER took place on the morning of Jan. 28 and a previous visit occurred in October, said Helmer.

"I've expressed concerns about overcrowding a number of times," he said.

"I've been working with [facilities management] Johnson Controls and Fraser Health to monitor occupancy. Once it hits a critical stage I want to be notified."

Linda Pipe, spokeswoman for the Fraser Valley region of the B.C. Nurses' Union, said on the Jan. 28 incident the emergency department had 80 patients and half had been admitted to stretchers in the hall.

"There are too many people in the hallway . . . in all the units, not just the emergency department," Pipe said.

The BCNU recently raised concerns around hallway nursing and overcrowding at ARH after a young woman died in a hallway bed early Christmas morning.

The practice of stacking patients in halls puts them at risk and doesn't allow for a dignified or healing care environment, said Pipe.

ARH, which opened in 2008, has a 268-bed capacity and there are no immediate plans to expand it, according to Fraser Health.

In recent months, ARH has averaged about 10 overflow patients a day while 70 to 100 patients is the average across the region.

Emergency room congestion is a system-wide issue across the Fraser Health Authority, particularly at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.

On Monday, emergency room doctors at RCH told health authorities they will no longer assess patients in hallways or other areas with a lack of privacy or equipment to do a thorough examination.

Helmer said AFRS is working with Abbotsford hospital authorities to develop a plan to deal with the congestion issue.

The fire department wants the plan to outline safe areas for a specific number of temporary hall beds and work out a threshold system where at critical points the AFRS is automatically notified of the situation.

Roy Thorpe-Dorward, Fraser Health Authority spokesman, said ARH authorities are committed to working with the fire department around planning and concerns.

"They haven't received the most recent report from the fire department on how to rectify concerns, but when they do they are committed to act on those recommendations," he said.

Helmer said a review of the proposed plan will take place at a meeting sometime this month.

Helmer said he understands ARH and Fraser Health are under increasing pressure to meet the needs of an increasing and aging population with limited resources but safety risks need to be addressed.

"I understand the problems and issues they face but we have to manage it because eventually something will happen."

- with a file from Tara Carman, Vancouver Sun.