Waterloo region is hoping the provincial government will hand it control of ambulance dispatch services.
Having formally approved the request at a meeting on Wednesday night, council believes the move would be a more cost effective, efficient and responsive dispatching of ambulances throughout the service area.
“We have been requesting to take over dispatch for some time,” said Stephen Van Valkenburg, Chief of Paramedic Services for Waterloo Region. “If it fits well with the new consolidated dispatch plan for the region, this would mean all emergency services for the region would be under one dispatch system which would improve efficiency of the service.”
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Ambulances for Waterloo region were dispatched out of a provincial centre in Cambridge up until last December, according to a report prepared for regional council by staff, when the ministry of health moved them to Hamilton, in part because of constant staffing shortages. To fill a staffing void, workers from other call centres were brought in to Cambridge for several months.
The region is hoping that with a new provincial government in place, it will be allowed to operate the dispatch centres.
But in making the request, the region points to the fact that Toronto, Ottawa, Timmins and the Niagara region all control their own provincially-funded dispatch centres.
The report says that moving the dispatch centre to Hamilton creates problems, as staff do not have optimum knowledge of the region.
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It remains to be seen where the dispatch centre would be if Waterloo’s request were to be approved.
“The location is yet to be determined and is dependent upon the ministry of health’s go-ahead to proceed with consolidation of dispatch services for the region,” Van Valkenburg explained.
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