Paramedic Services

Perth County Paramedic Services offers a diverse range or programs and positions. Learn more below:

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)/Community Paramedicine

Perth County Paramedic Services currently deploys a team of uniquely trained Community Paramedics. The Community Paramedics provide immediate or scheduled primary, urgent, and/or specialized healthcare to vulnerable patient populations while focusing on improving equity in healthcare.

The current team of Community Paramedics includes 6 Full-Time Staff and 9 Part-Time Staff.

Community Paramedics currently participate in specialized training in the following areas:

MIH Program Orientation
Community Paramedicine Foundations Course
Wound Care Training
Heart Failure Training
LEAP
Senior Mental Health – Persuasive Approach
Frailty Training

Skills that Community Paramedics are currently undergoing training for are as follows:

Urinalysis
EPOC
Coagucheck
SQ Line insertions
Broader Medical Directives

This team of Community Paramedics engages in community clinics, home visits, heart failure clinics, wound care, and the deployment of immunizations.

Field Training Paramedics

Perth County Paramedic Services currently deploys a team of uniquely qualified Field Training Paramedics. The current team of Field Training Paramedics includes 4 staff members.

These Field Training Paramedics participate in the following initiatives:

In-station program delivery BLSPCS/ALSPCS/SOP’s
Delivery of MOH mandatory programs
CME Material development and delivery
Assist with recruitment programs
Return to Work skills review and in-field reorientation
Assist in other Perth County Paramedic Services related education programs
Assist in program development and new program initiatives including research/needs analysis

Acting Commanders

Perth County Paramedic Services currently deploys a team of 10 Acting Commanders.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Operations, the Acting Commander assumes the day to day supervision of on-duty paramedics, the use of corporate capital resources and ensures efficient and effective provision of Paramedic Services to the citizens and visitors of the County of Perth.

The Acting Commander will provide ongoing supervision and leadership for Paramedics and students, including orientation and training of new staff in job specific hazard recognition and control and health and safety policies and procedures, planning/scheduling of work. In addition, the Acting Commander is responsible for the "day to day" operations and deployment of supplies, equipment, vehicles and emergency resources to standard.

About us

Mission and Vision: Save lives, decrease suffering and improve and promote community safety

Perth County Paramedic Services:

Provides excellent pre-hospital primary paramedic emergency care
Responds to more than 10,000 emergencies each year
Employs 100 paramedics
Operates one headquarters located in Stratford, 4 community satellite bases,11 ambulances and 2 command vehicles
Headquarters houses a emergency support unit (ESU) trailer and a supply support vehicle
Works in partnership with the Government of Ontario, City of Stratford and the Town of St Mary's
Follows the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

To view the Land Ambulance response times for Perth County, please click here.

Our service commitment

Perth County Paramedic Services is committed to providing the highest level of pre-hospital Paramedic services to our community. We are also committed to providing our paramedics with the training and knowledge to provide the best in professional Basic Life Support in Paramedic Services:

24 hours per day.
Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) will be certified according to the current legislation and regulations.
On-site staffed ambulance response time of 2 minutes.
Provide sufficient staffing comprised of full and part time Primary Care Paramedics to staff 6-7 ambulances, 24 hours per day; where operationally possible.
Each Emergency Response Vehicle responding to a request shall be staffed with at least one person qualified as a PCP under the legislation and regulations.
Each ambulance responding for a request for service is staffed with at least one Primary Care Paramedic and one EMA qualified as per the legislation.
Have sufficient PCP qualified staff to meet the Deployment and Utilization Strategy 2.0 Scope.

Who is accountable for what

Paramedics Services in the County of Perth is a partnership between our County Government and the Government of Ontario.

County of Perth

Province of Ontario

System design and coverage planning
Strategic planning
Procurement of resources (vehicles, equipment and some supplies)
Fleet maintenance
Funding of total system cost subject to approved provincial subsidy
Program oversight and complaint investigation
Quality assurance
Service delivery and supervision
Staff recruitment and training
Facilities
Supplies
Implementation, oversight and training of continuous medical education

911 services through the central ambulance communications centre located in London Ontario (link to them)
Base Hospital program (medical oversight)
Air ambulance
Certification of Ambulance operators and paramedics
50 per cent funding of approved municipal cost

Information practice statement

As an individual who uses our services, you have the right to know how we collect, use, maintain and disclose personal health information. You have a right to expect that, to the best of our ability, the personal health information held by us remains accurate, confidential and secure.

The Government of Ontario has enacted privacy legislation which applies to most health care providers in the Province. The Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), requires that strict rules be followed to protect the personal health information collected, used and/or disclosed by "health information custodians", including Perth County Paramedic Services.

If you would like to access your personal health information or know more about how this information is collected, used, maintained and disclosed, please contact Perth County Paramedic Services

You are also entitled to lodge a complaint with the Ontario Information & Privacy Commissioner if:

You are dissatisfied about the handling of your personal health information by Perth County Paramedic Services
Perth County Paramedic Services has not given access to all or part of your health records after you requested them; or
You have made a request for the correction of your health information and the correction has not been allowed.

Complaints can be directed to:

Information & Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
Tel: 1-800-387-0073 or (416) 326-3333
Fax: (416) 325-9195
TTY: (416) 325-7539
http://www.ipc.on.ca

Land ambulance response time standard (RTS)

Regulation 257/00 Part VIII under the Ambulance Act includes information on the target for meeting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care response times. Perth County's response times align with these standards.

The target for meeting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care response time of six (6) minutes for Sudden Cardiac Arrest patients is 51%. This means that the County of Perth targets a defibrillator arriving at the scene of a cardiac arrest within the six (6) minute response time 51% of the time.
The target for meeting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care response time standard of eight (8) minutes for CTAS level 1 patients is 70%. This means that the County of Perth targets paramedics arriving at the scene of critically ill or injured patients within the eight (8) minute response time 70% of the time.
The proposed response time targets for CTAS level 2 through CTAS level 4 patients is established at sixteen (16) minutes 75% of the time.

The proposed response time targets for CTAS level 5 patients is established at sixteen (30) minutes 75% of the time. Perth County Paramedic Services will strive to identify and investigate instances when the service standard is not met.

Billing for ambulance services

If you have received an invoice for ambulance services, it will have been issued by the hospital you were transported to. This invoice is not generated by the County of Perth. If you have questions regarding the billing information, please contact the hospital.

If you have any additional questions about why you have received an invoice for Paramedic Services, please see the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website.

Requesting reports and records

If you require a copy of your patient care transportation record you may submit a request to the County of Perth Paramedics Services by one of the methods listed below. As per the County's Fees and Charges By-law there will be a processing fee (currently $60.00 + HST= 67.80), payable to the County of Perth. Proper consents, releases and/or photo identification are required.

Court Related Information

Paramedics are often called to provide witness testimony to the events which occurred while performing their duties. All subpoenas and court related documentation must be forwarded to the Perth County Paramedic Service administration office for processing and issuance.

All correspondence and Legal Documents can be forwarded to:

County of Perth Paramedic Services: 480 Douro Street, Stratford Ontario

Public awards

The County of Perth's Emergency Services Citizen Rescue Award of Merit may be awarded to any citizen who performs lifesaving actions when confronted to a situation threatening the life of someone in their presence.

The incident would be within the County of Perth boundaries or to an incident where the County of Perth emergency services have responded to.

The criteria for deciding whether to recognize an individual include:

Ability to recognize the emergency
Appropriate use of knowledge i.e. (911, CPR, PAD, First Aid)
Willingness to intervene
Evidence of good judgment

Neither the outcome (successful or not) nor the degree of risk involved are criteria in the decision.

Timelines are an issue. Normally, recognition is given within 24 months of the rescue at the Perth Paramedic Services Celebration of life event. Send a written nomination form [insert form] outlining the facts to Perth Paramedic Services Headquarters

Our Citizen Rescue Award of Merit recipients embody what the Royal Life Saving Society motto states "Whomsoever you see in distress, recognize in him a fellow man / Quemqunque miserum videris hominem scias."

Would you like a Paramedic to speak at your event?

Perth County Paramedic outreach initiatives are volunteer paramedics who provide information to schools and agencies on safety, prevention and the important role of paramedics in the community.

If you would like a paramedic to attend your group or school event please submit a completed Perth County Paramedic Services Community Outreach Form.

The Outreach form is not intended to be used for a paid duty request. If you require emergency medical coverage and care for a sporting event or other high risk event, please call 519-271-0531 ext. 511