Paramedic Services

 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

• 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.

 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