The Essex-Windsor EMS is looking for funding to embed clinicians in the Windsor Central Ambulance Communications Centre.
Chief Justin Lammers made the request to the province on Tuesday. He said the move will improve triage accuracy and optimize resource deployment.
"“The population of Essex-Windsor is rapidly rising, and system-wide stresses, including call volumes, keep rising in proportion. These factors long ago necessitated that our ambulances be assigned as efficiently and accurately as possible. It is crucial that we not only keep doing so but improve upon it. As the challenges keep rising, it is hard to keep up,” said Lammers.
He's asking for the increased funding to align with the rollout of the new Medical Priority Dispatch System that is coming as early as this summer.
“The new Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) will help us triage patients and dispatch ambulances with greater efficiency and accuracy at the get-go. That is most welcome. What would improve response times and patient outcomes even more in our uniquely challenging region, however, would be additionally adding healthcare clinicians at those crucial initial moments – the moment a 911 emergency call is received – to ensure that the most urgent, life-threatening emergencies are tended to first and foremost,” said Lammers.
This is the second request for funding made by the County of Essex at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference in Toronto. The county is also looking for funding to improve the Manning Road and County Road 22 intersection.
