Paramedics in Lanark County responding to fewer calls in Ottawa
Posted Mar 16, 2021 02:53:00 PM.
Paramedics in Lanark County stayed within their own jurisdiction at a more frequent rate in 2020.
A report to the Committee of the Whole for the Town of Smiths Falls revealed that the Lanark County Paramedic Service (LCPS) responded to 481 calls in Ottawa in 2020, compared to 566 in 2019.
“We're happy to see the Ottawa one decreasing a bit from some of the initiatives they've put in and staffing changes,” explains Chief Travis Mellema.
In recent years, Ottawa has worked to resolve ongoing issues which create ambulances shortages in the city, as they sometimes either get stuck waiting to offload patients at local hospitals or get pulled out to other jurisdictions to help with emergency situations.
Mellema notes that Ottawa paramedics also responded to 25 per cent fewer calls in Lanark County last year: 141, compared to 186 the year prior
Overall, call volumes decreased slightly for the LCPS, as it answered 22,502 calls in 2020, while they responded to 22,815 in 2019.
