Paramedic Services Open Data

The dashboard shows the number of 911 ambulance calls in Nipissing District, based on the time the call was received (T1) at the Central Ambulance Communication Centre (CCAC). Depending on the location and priority of the call, the CACC dispatches the call to the appropriate ambulance station or other first responder (see below):

Nipissing Paramedic Services Stations: There are five ambulance stations in Nipissing District. Three of these are located in the district's urban areas (North Bay, Sturgeon Falls, and Mattawa) and two are located in the district's rural-most areas (Temagami and Whitney).

Other paramedic services (outside Nipissing District): As per provincial legislation, the ambulance that is closest to the scene responds to the call. Thus, when Nipissing paramedic resources are unavailable or not closest to the call, other paramedic services from outside the district (and closest to the call) respond (e.g. Parry Sound District EMS).

Emergency First Response Team (EFRT): Although not shown separately in the data, there are also four EFRTs operating in Nipissing District. These teams are comprised of volunteer first responders who assist with emergency calls in rural areas.

Data source: Ontario MHLTC Ambulance Dispatch Reporting System (ADRS), Summary Of All Pickups; Dashboard: DNSSAB

Priority 1&2 (Non-Urgent): routine calls that may be delayed without being detrimental to the patient (e.g. minor injury) or calls that can be scheduled for a specific time (e.g. inter-hospital transfer).

Priority 3 (Urgent): perform call without delay (serious injury or illness).

Priority 4 (Emergent): perform call immediately (life or limb may be at risk).

Priority 8 (Incident/ Coverage Stand-by): standing-by for incident dispatch or to provide area coverage/ receive further call reassignment.

Nipissing Paramedic Services’ provides Non-Emergency transportation to our residents when the decision has been made that the ambulance is the best method of transportation because of the patient's condition. However it must be recognized that, even with these additional resources, we can only move non-emergency patients when the use of our limited resources will not jeopardize our prime mandate of emergency medical coverage.

The District of Nipissing Paramedic Services’ provides land ambulance care to the sick and injured at a primary care level and advance care level primary focus is to provide professional & medically proven health care to the communities that we serve. The provision of services is contracted out to qualified providers that are licensed by the Ministry of Health to provider high quality services. We border with Manitoulin/Sudbury, Timiskaming district, Parry Sound, Renfrew County of which we have successfully negotiated cross border agreements assuring seamless primary care to all citizens in our district.

What are Emergency Calls?

The prime mandate of Nipissing Paramedic Services’ is to provide emergency medical care and transportation to the residents and visitors of the Nipissing District.

What are Non-Emergency Calls?

The Nipissing District has many people who are either admitted to or live in a healthcare facility. These people are often in need of healthcare procedures and/or consultations that regularly require them to travel to their local hospital for treatment or to other institutions outside the district for more specialized treatment or consultation. An ambulance should only be the method of choice for moving someone where:

• the situation is an emergency
• there is a need for a stretcher and the person is medically unstable and in need of an escort
• a medical professional has determined that an ambulance is the most appropriate option to transport the patient.

Alternatively patients can be moved by an accessible taxi, family members, a transportation service offered by a volunteer organization or a private medical transport service, where available.

What is Interfacility Patient Transportation?

In Nipissing District, there are residents admitted to hospital, or who reside in a designated healthcare facility. These patients/residents may require diagnostic procedures or interventions that can’t be managed in their facility, and as such requires travel to other institutions within or outside the district. Legislation dictates that an ambulance should only be the method for moving someone where the person:

• have suffered a trauma or an acute onset of illness either of which could endanger their life, limb or function, or
• have been judged by a physician or a health care provider designated by a physician to be in an unstable medical condition and to require, while being transported, the care of a physician, nurse, other health care provider, emergency medical attendant or paramedic, and the use of a stretcher; (“ambulance”)

Alternatively, patients/residents can be transported by an accessible taxi, accessible transit systems, family members, a transportation service offered by a volunteer organization or a private medical transport service.

Nipissing Paramedic Services’ provide Non-Urgent transportation to our residents when the decision has been made in a legislatively compliant manner, however, it must be recognized that non-urgent interfacility transportation will not be managed where such assignments would jeopardize the primary mandate as an emergency response agency.