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New medical priority dispatch system will prioritize emergency calls

November 14, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services will join with other services across the province in implementing the new Medical Priority Dispatch System.

The new system will start on Nov. 14.

The purpose of the new system is to ensure the County’s paramedics are more readily available to be dispatched to urgent, life-threatening calls, faster.

The new system is being rolled out in November 2024 in Simcoe County, York Region, Beausoleil First Nation, and Rama First Nations.

The Ontario Government has previously launched this program in the City of Toronto, Peel Region, City of Ottawa, and other municipalities, and will continue to roll it out across the province.

“The previous system operated to an extent as first come first serve, which didn’t allow dispatchers and paramedics to prioritize the urgency of calls,” said Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. “This new system empowers dispatchers to gather more information, helping them assess the urgency of a call and prioritize the response more effectively. We know it’s been a success in other jurisdictions, and we look forward to seeing further benefits in Simcoe County.”

Patients with non-life-threatening needs may receive a delayed response from paramedics as a result. However, dispatchers will remain in contact with callers, ensuring they remain stable and are able to safely wait until paramedics can respond to their needs.

The end goal is to ensure that Paramedic resources are getting to urgent or life-threatening calls as quickly as possible. 

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