Image from Grey County
Grey County paramedics has exceeded its response time goals for 2024.
Last year, the paramedic service met and exceeded its targets for all call types as they responded to a record 15,796 calls in 2024.
Target response times depend on the level of severity in the call for service, which can range from sudden cardiac arrest, to less urgent which could include small wounds.
An annual report from Grey County Director of Paramedic Services Kevin McNab shows the paramedic service exceeded its target times in all categories of calls for service. For higher priority calls like sudden cardiac arrest, the service exceeded its response time target of six minutes.
McNab says, “Our annual review of response time targets has shown that our paramedics have once again met or surpassed our annual response goals, delivering quality emergency care when people need it most.”
Over the past five years, Grey County paramedics have experienced a nearly 30 per cent increase in patient call volume.
“Despite this rise in calls, response time targets have not increased since they were implemented in 2012,” says Grey County in a release.
To help address the 4,500 square kilometres the paramedic service covers, Grey County paramedics undertook a comprehensive deployment review in 2023 to understand its aging population.
The review recommends strategies for improving response time, including adding four new base locations in Feversham this year, Ayton next year, Thornbury in 2027, and Cobble Beach in 2028.
An additional daily 12-hour ambulance shift is also being added in Feversham this July.
