COUNTY LOOKING TO ADJUST AMBULANCE DEPLOYMENT

A new deployment plan for County of Simcoe Paramedic Services (CSPS) could improve ambulance response times in Collingwood by as much as 6.8 per cent in some cases.

A report presented at the March 14 meeting of the county's committee of the whole recommends the addition of a 12hour ambulance to the Collingwood station's two existing 24-7 ambulances.

Jane Sinclair is general manager of health and emergency services for the county. "We project it will be able to meet the increasing trends in call volume that we've been seeing," she told councillors.

Across the county, ambulance calls are up 10.4 per cent from 2021-22, according to the report by CSPS director and Chief Sarah Mills.

In addition to the impact on service, the increased volume comes with the risk of staff burnout, Mills said, which can lead to more sick time, shortterm disability and long-term disability.

In addition to Collingwood, changes are also being contemplated for the Innisfil/south Barrie catchment area, where the assignment of two new resources to the existing 12-hour rapid-response unit in Alcona is being recommended.

This would "improve coverage in Innisfil, Barrie, Collingwood and Essa, given the frequent draw by the Angus resource into the adjacent municipalities," stated Mills.

Another resource realignment may also be in the cards for Penetanguishene, where staff suggest a 12-hour rapid-response unit be converted to a 12hour transport ambulance.

Such a change could lead to response times up to 6.3 per cent quicker in some cases, according to the county's modelling.

Mills noted all costs associated with the updated deployment plan are included within the approved budget for paramedic services, which totals $67 million for 2023.