Emergency Response Times

[Cloud Cover]

I shed no tears for person who gambles their life and loses on a life or act of crime. Perhaps if the consequences were a little more severe less would make that choice.

I don't think gun ownership should be mandatory. But I think people should take a more active role in their own safety and security and I don't think they should fear the courts for that.

“Alexa! Activate the Roomba Claymore unit. Deploy to Front Entrance.”

 

[Brad Sallows]

Compare gun deaths between Canada and the US, and that appears to be a sound policy choice.

"Appears" is doing a lot of work for "dozens of causes that might be worth considering".

Who gets shot, and why they got shot, matters a great deal.

 

[mariomike]

Readers concerned with the effect of bike lanes and severe traffic congestion on 9-1-1 response times in Canada's largest city may, or may not, find this of interest.

9 Dec., 2024

 

[mariomike]

Saw this in Politics. Will reply in Emergency Services / Response Times.

Public services have to measure service delivery and efficiency differently. I want an ambulance crew sitting around watching TV when get the urge to stick a fork in my eye after watching a Leafs game.

The tones seemed to be set to go off just as they dropped the puck. < smile emoji

The funding formula in Ontario is 50% from Queen's Park - based on the census population, only.

Municipalities have to make up their minds to ante up, or play it cheap.

Efficiency and productivity is measured by Unit Hour Utilization . Higher the UHU, harder it is on the crews.

 

[lenaitch]

Saw this in Politics. Will reply in Emergency Services / Response Times.



The tones seemed to be set to go off just as they dropped the puck. < smile emoji

The funding formula in Ontario is 50% from Queen's Park - based on the census population, only.

Municipalities have to make up their minds to ante up, or play it cheap.

Efficiency and productivity is measured by Unit Hour Utilization . Higher the UHU, harder it is on the crews.

To be clear you are speaking of EMS services only.

 

[mariomike]

To be clear you are speaking of EMS services only.

Right.

Not familiar with Queen's Park funding formula for municipal police or fire , or municipal paramedics in other provinces.

Or, how they measure response times, departmental efficiency and productivity. Different service delivery models.

 

[mariomike]

11 June, 2025

To meet Response Times, City Hall and Queen's Park will have to ante up,

Toronto plans to hire hundreds of new paramedics as emergency calls rise
The new hiring plan is contingent on sharing costs with the province but Mayor Chow said she's 'confident' the money will come through

Toronto plans to hire hundreds of new paramedics as emergency calls rise

The new hiring plan is contingent on sharing costs with the province but Mayor Chow said she's 'confident' the money will come through

www.torontotoday.ca

"When seconds count..."

Since 2018, the average time between someone calling 911 and an ambulance arriving has increased from 12.1 minutes to nearly 15 minutes. Over the next four years, call volume is expected to grow by another 11 per cent to over 16 minutes.

 

[mariomike]

Saw this in "The Newsroom".

Will reply in Emergency Services.

Intra hospital transfers, usually done by Ambulance civi side.

Only familiar with one municipality.

But, in the City of Toronto, non-emergency inter-facility transportation is done by unregulated private transport companies.

The municipal paramedic service handles the 9-1-1 calls, and emergency runs to Level One trauma centres , Hospital for Sick Children, hyperbaric chamber etc.

 

[mariomike]

From "The Newsroom",

Will reply in Emergency Services,

Kevin wrote,

There are a bunch of us in the grey zone - retired pre pension, so over 10 years on the 20plan (and admittedly not sure if 10 is still the bottom rung to be considered ‘Retired’

What I was referring to is the department's lifetime social organization for members - after 25 years of service.

Retirement, on an unreduced pension, is when when age + service = 90.

It might be 85 Factor now. But, I'm on the 90 plan.

Kevin wrote,

Very few jobs (none of them) in the CAF are going to be good for everyone from 19-65)

I joined the CAF when I was 16.

But, it looks like you can join much later in life:

Canadian Forces ,

The maximum age is based on the age of 60 less the minimum years of service required for the career chosen.

 

[mariomike]

Saw this in "The Newsroom"

Will reply in Emergency Services.

As mentioned, some folks found out that the odds of actually needing sick leave increases with age and all of a sudden they got sick and didn't have the bank to cover it.

18 days a year are deposited into your Sick Bank over a 35 year career. That's 630 days.

If one maintains 120 days in their Sick Bank, that will cover the six months until Long-Term Disability ( LTD ) begins for non-occupational illness or injury.

The Sick Bank will also top up your LTD to 100%.

Of those 630 days, your nine month retirement gratuity will require 180 days.

That leaves 450 sick day credits at one's disposal.

After I retired,

On the controversial issue of banked sick-leave, ( Toronto Mayor ) Miller said the city negotiated an end to any future employees being able to save up unused sick days, but current employees will have the option of keeping the time they've accrued or taking a payout.

It was not voluntary.

Toronto Police and Fire still receive Sick Bank Gratuity, and I can't see either of them ever giving it up voluntarily either.

 

[mariomike]

Saw this in The Newsroom about the cost of hiring EVTS / Mechanics / Vehicle Technicians,

good luck getting guys to work their trade for so little.

Will reply in Emergency Services.

Likewise, municipal Paid Duty , an ambulance with two paramedics , is $134.50 per hour.

Four hour minimum.

 

[Dana381]

Saw this in The Newsroom about the cost of hiring EVTS / Mechanics / Vehicle Technicians,



Will reply in Emergency Services.

Likewise, municipal Paid Duty , an ambulance with two paramedics , is $134.50 per hour.

Four hour minimum

Considering the expensive equipment on an ambulance $134.50 seems low for an ambulance and two paramedics. Although with the four hour minimum an Ambulance could do multiple calls in a shift and have billables in the 20 - 30 hour range for an 8 hour shift. If an ambulance responds to 6 calls in an shift averaging 1 hour each then they would have 24 billable hours.

That is if I am reading that right.

 

[mariomike]

Considering the expensive equipment on an ambulance $134.50 seems low for an ambulance and two paramedics. Although with the four hour minimum an Ambulance could do multiple calls in a shift and have billables in the 20 - 30 hour range for an 8 hour shift. If an ambulance responds to 6 calls in an shift averaging 1 hour each then they would have 24 billable hours.

That is if I am reading that right.

Municipalities measure High Performance ( efficiency, cost effectiveness, resource allocation, and budget ) by Unit Hour Utilization ( UHU ).

(UHU) is calculated by dividing the number of transports by the number of “unit hours,” with one unit hour defined as a fully equipped and staffed ambulance.

IE: 10 ambulances around the clock = 240 unit hours in a 24-hour period.

If those 10 ambulances do 120 transports in 24 hours = 5 UHU.

Factors that influence UHU would be Response Time standards, Call Volume, deployment strategies and shift schedules.

 

[lenaitch]

Considering the expensive equipment on an ambulance $134.50 seems low for an ambulance and two paramedics. Although with the four hour minimum an Ambulance could do multiple calls in a shift and have billables in the 20 - 30 hour range for an 8 hour shift. If an ambulance responds to 6 calls in an shift averaging 1 hour each then they would have 24 billable hours.

That is if I am reading that right.

Ya, that is a bargain. Toronto PS charges $94.50 per member plus about $34.00 for the vehicle; all per hour, minimum 3 hours.

Keep in mind that 'paid duty' is non-publicly funded service; i.e. a concert or some other for-profit venue like a Jays game. They could do absolutely nothing for those hours.

 

[mariomike]

Toronto gives a quote - only after - you,

Fill out this form to request medical coverage at your event from Toronto Paramedic Services.

Paramedic Services Event Quote

Fill out this form to request medical coverage at your event from Toronto Paramedic Services.

www.toronto.ca

Our collective agreement simply says,

Paid Duty
45.12 Paramedics who perform “Paid Duty” work shall be compensated in accordance with the Collective Agreement for all such work performed.

That would be four hours minimum, at time and a half.

Likewise, municipal Paid Duty , an ambulance with two paramedics , is $134.50 per hour.

Four hour minimum.

That was for City of Guelph

Special event medical coverage

Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service will provide Special Event Medical Coverage which includes an ambulance and 2 paramedics dedicated to the event site.

guelph.ca

County of Frontenac 2018 rate,

Attendance of one ambulance and two paramedics at special events:

Basic charge

$800 for four hours coverage (minimum charge).

Additional charges

$220 for each hour or portion thereof.

 

[mariomike]

Saw this in Canada Post,

Generally managers don’t count under unions but I am not sure on their specifics.

The department I was a member of never had a layoff.

To maintain Response Times, they terminated managers, so they could hire more paramedics, because of the ever increasing Call Volume.

Managers, being non-union, had no Seniority or Recall rights. ie: They were fired, not laid off.

It wasn't personal. Just business.

 

[lenaitch]

@mariomike

This came across my FB feed tonight. The EMS crews in Nipigon are part time/on-call. Apparently there is no one available until 1000 tomorrow.

 

[mariomike]

@mariomike

This came across my FB feed tonight. The EMS crews in Nipigon are part time/on-call. Apparently there is no one available until 1000 tomorrow.

View attachment 96891

We didn't have part-timeers "It's a career. Not a hobby."

20 twelve-hour shifts every six weeks.

Schedule, station, partner never changed.

OT was shared equitably. Members with low seniority were offered as much voluntary OT as those high on the list.

OVERTIME ASSIGNMENT – TORONTO PARAMEDIC SERVICES (TPS)
It is agreed and understood that the practice that is currently in place for the equitable
distribution of overtime for TPS will remain unchanged by this provision.

I never did Call Back or Standby. But, there was a policy::

Call-Back
8.02 (a) Each employee who has completed their regular day’s work and who
has left their office, assigned yard or work location and who is called-
back and reports for overtime work or who is called-back and reports for
work on other than their regular work day, shall be paid by the City as a
minimum, the equivalent of four (4) hours pay at their regular overtime
rate, whether such employee works or not, for each time such employee
is called-back and reports for overtime work or work as the case may be.
8.02 (b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the payments referred to in
this clause will not be applicable to overtime hours worked in conjunction
with an employee’s regularly scheduled shift.

Standby
8.03 (a) Except where standby is a normal requirement of the job, standby shall
be voluntary. When a job is posted, the posting shall indicate whether
standby is a requirement of the job. In the event an employee accepts
standby, they shall be available for work when called by telephone, paged,
etc. and shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours pay at their regular
straight time hourly rate for each twenty-four (24) hour period within
which they are assigned to standby. If the employee while on standby is
required to work, all hours so worked shall be subject to overtime rates.
8.03 (b) In the event an employee is on standby and is called into work, they shall
not be entitled to call-back pay as set out in clause 8.02 (Call-Back).
8.03 (c) In order to provide equitable distribution of standby within a calendar
year, employees who normally perform the work within a work location
will be required to sign standby lists indicating their willingness to
accept standby save and except employees where standby is a normal
requirement of the job. If required, sectional standby lists for each District
shall be maintained and utilized for the purpose of offering standby where
there are not sufficient numbers of employees who accept the standby in
the work location.
8.03 (d) Employees shall be placed on the standby lists in order of their seniority.
Employees shall be rotated through the lists, commencing with the most
senior employee in the location and section.
8.03 (e) Employees who have accepted superior duties in the classification(s)
performing the standby, as provided for in Article 23, shall be eligible to
be included on the standby list in order of seniority. It is understood that
such employees shall only be permitted to appear on one standby list at
a time.
8.03 (f) Employees who are performing standby duties shall be given preference
for overtime that arises during the course of their standby. In the event an
employee is on standby and is called back to work, such overtime hours
worked shall not be included in the equitable distribution calculation as
outlined in clause 8.01(e).
8.03 (g) In the event there are not sufficient numbers of employees in the work
location available to perform standby duties, standby will then be
offered to those employees within the section on a District-wide basis
who normally perform the work. If there are still insufficient numbers of
employees available, the standby will then be offered on a City-wide
basis having regard to the section and the work to be performed.
Should there not be sufficient numbers of employees willing to accept the
standby, the junior employee within the District may be assigned.
8.03 (h) Employees on standby shall be provided a pager.
8.03 (i) Employees on standby and who work holidays during the standby shall
be treated in accordance with clause 12.02.

 

[AmmoTech90]

We didn't have part-timeers "It's a career. Not a hobby."

Bit of a pretentious, holier and better than thou take. Please explain how the Toronto ems contract applies to underpaid medics in Nipigon.

It's a good thing rural Canada has a network of part-time, volunteer EMRs, they've saved a lot of lives. Fortunately, Torontonians don't have worry about being serviced by them.

Should they rip up their sidewalks so that their nieghborhoods can be better than everyone else?