Medical Priority Dispatch System for 911 calls coming February 5

Press Release – Mississippi River Health Alliance

Paramedic services across Southeastern Ontario and the Kingston Central Ambulance Communications Centre will implement a new system for 9-1-1 calls on Wednesday, February 5.

People who call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency, should expect to answer new, detailed questions about each patient’s condition. Paramedics will respond to urgent and life-threatening cases as quickly as possible but those who call 9-1-1 for less-urgent, non-life-threatening matters should expect longer wait times under the new system. Callers for less-urgent cases will be supported through regular contact with ambulance communications officers who will monitor the patient’s condition.

“The new system is a time-tested, scientifically proven, advanced set of technical tools to help paramedics, ambulance communications officers, and emergency department teams ensure that each patient receives the right care at the right time,” says Chris Wicklam, Director, Kingston Central Ambulance Communications Centre (KCACC). “It increases precision, accuracy, and efficiency in emergency medical response; and it ensures our emergency department colleagues are able to return paramedics to service as quickly as possible after each call.”

Paramedics from Lennox and Addington Paramedic Services, Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service, Lanark County Paramedic Service, Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, and Frontenac Paramedics rely on KCACC communications officers to receive 9-1-1 medical calls and coordinate paramedic dispatch across Southeastern Ontario.

The new system, called the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), is in use in more than 35,000 ambulance communications centres in at least 46 countries. It is in place in Toronto, Ottawa, Peel, Halton, York, Niagara, and many more jurisdictions in Ontario. It will soon be standard across the province.

MPDS gets paramedics to the most critical patients as immediately as possible, matches paramedics with specialized skills and equipment to each case, and reduces non-urgent demand pressure on emergency departments. It is an evidence-based system that includes measures to ensure patients continue to receive the highest standard of care.

“Paramedics, ambulance communications officers, and emergency department colleagues are here 24-7 for everyone who calls 9-1-1,” says Jeff Carss, Chief, Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service. “MPDS is just one more way for all of us to further ensure every patient finds the right pathway to the services they need most.”