Emergency Services

What is 9-1-1?

9-1-1 is an emergency telephone number that makes it faster and easier to reach emergency services.

What is an emergency?

An emergency is any situation where the safety of people or property is at risk and urgent assistance is required, such as a crime in progress, a fire, or a medical crisis.

How do you use 9-1-1?

• If you're at home dial 9-1-1. Do not add 9-1-1 on your speed dial.
• If you're in a business or other location, you may need to dial an outside line before dialing 9-1-1.
• If you're at a pay phone, dial 9-1-1. No coin required.
• With 9-1-1 service the address you are calling from will automatically be displayed to the emergency 9-1-1 call taker. Please note this does not apply to cellular phones.
• If you're using a cellular phone, give the exact location of the emergency including the City or Town, highway, road or line number, nearest crossroad and address.
• For Telephone Device for the Deaf (T.D.D. /T.T.Y.) press the space bar intermittently after calling until you receive a response.
• The 9-1-1 call taker will ask you if you need police, fire or ambulance. Tell them the emergency service you require and they will transfer you to that service.
• If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, Text with 911 is available in Perth County. 

Answering questions the emergency service will ask you

• Remain calm and speak clearly.
• Listen and answer the 9-1-1 operator's questions.
• Be prepared to stay on the line with the 9-1-1 operator.
• Do not hang up until the 9-1-1 call taker advises you to do so.

Teach your children about 9-1-1

• Teach your children how and when to get help from 9-1-1.
• Teach your children their address and telephone number as soon as they are able to learn.
• Keep your address posted by your phone for visiting guests and/or children.
• Tell your children to answer all of the emergency questions and stay on the phone until they are told to hang up.
• Teach your children about the consequences of making prank 9-1-1 calls.

If you accidentally dial 9-1-1

• Stay on the line until the 9-1-1 operator answers to verify that there is no emergency.
• If you do not stay on the line, the 9-1-1 operator will call you back.
• If the operator does not get an answer, the Police will automatically be sent to your address to verify the situation.

Perth County operates Perth County Paramedic Services, including ambulances for all municipalities in the County. Paramedics are dispatched by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Central Ambulance Communications Centre in London.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provides police services for the County of Perth. The OPP deals with all law enforcement issues and criminal matters. 

OPP 24 hr Police Service is available by phone, 1-888-310-1122 or in an emergency dial 9-1-1

Perth County Detachment 380 Huron Road PO Box 38 Sebringville, ON N0K 1X0

Fire departments in Perth County are as follows:

• Perth East

• West Perth

• North Perth

  • Minto Fire Department

• Perth South (served by three departments)

  • St. Marys
  • Perth East
  • Biddulph-Blanshard (Granton)

Click here to view the Perth County Fire Map to locate your local fire service coverage.

The Emergency Management Program in Perth County is a partnership between the county and its lower-tier municipalities. Please see the Emergency Management Program for more information about this program.

Emergency preparedness

Perth County urges you to make plans and prepare for emergencies that may impact you. Please see the Emergency Preparedness page for more information. 

Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance

• St. Marys Hospital
• Stratford General Hospital
• Listowel Memorial Hospital
• Children's Hospital
• University Hospital
• Victoria Hospital

Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance

• Listowel Memorial Hospital

London Health Sciences Centre

• Children's Hospital
• University Hospital
• Victoria Hospital

2-1-1

Dial 2-1-1 for a 24/7 helpline or visit the 2-1-1 website.

Huron Perth Public Public Health

Huron Perth Public Health works in partnership with our community to help you with your health. They promote and protect health, and prevent disease by providing community health programs and services for all the people of Perth County.

653 West Gore Street Stratford, ON N5A 1L4

519-271-7600 1-877-271-7348

The City of Stratford provides assistance if you need help with income, housing, or childcare. They serve people that live in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County. For after-hours emergency homelessness support services in Stratford, St. Marys or Perth County please call 1-888-829-7484.

Ontario Works

Ontario Works provides income and employment assistance, also known as social assistance, for people who are in financial need.

Housing

Our Housing Division offers geared to income and subsidized rental housing (apartments, townhouses, houses) for singles and families. The units are owned and managed by the City, non-profits, co-operatives and private landlords.

Child Care

Our child care division offers child care subsidy for eligible families, as well childcare resource consultant services for children with special needs who attend child care programs anywhere in Perth County.

Anne Hathaway Daycare

The City of Stratford operates the Anne Hathaway Daycare Centre, located at 103 Bruce St., Stratford, for children from 18 months to 5 years. The Daycare offers an inclusive setting based on the emergent curriculum. Fee subsidy, flexible and emergency care is available.

Chase McEachern was an 11-year-old Barrie hockey player who developed a cardiac arrhythmia as a result of an injury he sustained playing football. He made it his quest to make Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) mandatory in hockey arenas and schools- even soliciting support from Don Cherry, Hockey Night in Canada's well known commentator. 

In April 2006, with the backing of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Ontario government and private sponsors the Public Access Defibrillator (P.A.D.) program was born. The program has since worked to place 2161 Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) units across Ontario.

In Perth County, Perth County Emergency Services and the County of Perth have worked with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and its partners Cowan Insurance and the Trillium Foundation of Ontario to place 46 AEDs in public buildings across the County. 

This has all been possible due to overwhelming support from City of Stratford, The Town of St Marys, the Municipality of North Perth, the Municipality of West Perth, the Township of Perth South, and the Township of Perth East, the Huron Perth Catholic School Board, the Avon Maitland District School Board, the Rotary Club of Stratford, the Festival Theatre, Hog Jog of Stratford, and public donations. The program continues to grow and is working through these partnerships to secure AEDs for all elementary schools within the County.

If you would like more information on the provincial program, the 21 lives saved to date, CPR events, or the chain of survival, check out the Heart and Stroke Foundation's website.

If you would like information on the P.A.D. program in Perth County, please visit the Public Access Defibrillator information page or contact Perth County Paramedic Services.