Emergency Medical Services - About Us

2009 EMS Activity Summary Transition to Regional Service The delivery of ambulance service in the Region of Waterloo is the responsibility of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division of Public Health. All paramedics and support staff are employees of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, with land ambulance costs shared between the Region and Province in accordance with a funding template. In 2007, approximately $15 Million was budgeted for the provision of ambulance service.

The Region of Waterloo is committed to improving service delivery by reducing ambulance response times and expanding paramedic skills. Regional Council has approved funding for the hiring of additional paramedics, and the purchase of extra vehicles and equipment to ensure that all of the Region’s residents receive exceptional pre-hospital care.

The Region of Waterloo was originally one of the province’s pilot sites for Advanced Care Paramedics under the OPALS (Ontario Pre-hospital Advanced Life Support) program. This program and subsequent initiatives provides 60 Advanced Care Paramedics who “bring the emergency room to the patient” by inserting breathing tubes into the trachea (windpipe), providing cardiac monitoring, pacing and defibrillation, monitoring blood levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide, providing intravenous access and fluid delivery, and administering multiple medications to the critically ill. Advanced paramedic activities are controlled by physicians at the Waterloo Region - Wellington-Dufferin Base Hospital Program, operated by the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

Region of Waterloo EMS is part of an essential patient care partnership: EMS resources are dispatched through the Cambridge Central Ambulance Communications Centre, operated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Tiered Response of local Fire and Police resources through this centre, ensures the quickest possible response to life-threatening emergencies. All local fire departments now provide rapid cardiac defibrillation in support of EMS paramedics.

Region of Waterloo Emergency Medical Services...

• employs 160 Primary/Advanced Care Paramedics and Support Staff;
• operates a fleet of 29 vehicles including:
  - 18 ambulances
  - 5 emergency response units
  - 1 emergency support unit
  - 3 multi-casualty incident trailers
  - 1 fleet support vehicle
  - 1 driver training vehicle
• has 8 stations in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, St. Jacobs and Baden;
• serves the population (approximately 509,000) and geographic area (1,382 sq. kms.) of Waterloo Region;
• serviced 38,453 requests for ambulance service during 2007
• reached 90% of all emergency calls in less than 12 minutes 41 seconds during 2007;

• Developed a comprehensive call data mapping program in conjunction with Information Systems.
• Implemented “state-of-the-art” ZOLL defibrillator/monitors with enhanced features that enabled paramedics to further utilize their advanced skills.
• Enhanced Primary Care Paramedic staff skills to include intravenous starts in support of Advanced Care Paramedics.
• Implemented Automatic Vehicle Locating / Global Positioning Satellite technology in all EMS vehicles to reduce response times and continuously record vehicle movements.
• Implemented automated supply and medication dispensing units with full electronic audit trail capabilities, at each hospital emergency department.
• Implemented a dedicated EMS server to accommodate on-line data retrieval from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, as well as current and future information systems initiatives.
• Used this server technology to implement a computerized scheduling and payroll data collection system incorporating swipe stations at all EMS facilities.
• Supported Conestoga College in the development of the first part-time Advanced Care Paramedic program in the province.
• Implemented electronic storage of electrocardiograms utilizing integral SRAM cards on the ZOLL defibrillator/monitors.
• Trained paramedics to perform 12-lead ECGs. Electronically transmitted to hospital, this data ensures life saving PCI therapy is available immediately upon the patient’s arrival.
• Implemented computerized on-board mapping to ensure the most current street information is available to ambulance crews at all times.
• Implemented computerized collection and storage of all Ambulance Call Reports and Incident Reports - a first in Ontario.
• Constructed a Central Fleet facility to consolidate all operational support services.
• Designing replacement and additional stations that meet all current operating standards.
• Piloting the use of rural rapid response paramedic vehicles in conjunction with ambulances.
• Moving towards the Council-directed improvements in emergency response times Region-wide.

• Supporting the upgrading of existing Primary Care Paramedics through a part-time Advanced Care Paramedic training program at Conestoga College.