Paramedic services see highest call volume ever in 2014

Waterloo Regionparamedics responded to a record number of calls in 2014, while response times for emergency calls slowed slightly compared to the previous year.

There were 37,274 calls in total in 2014, up from 34,736 in 2013.

The numbers were presented in a fourth quarter report by paramedic services chief Stephen Van Valkenburg at a regional community services meeting Tuesday.

The high number of calls throughout the yearled to longer response timesforemergency calls. Of the 37,274 calls made in 2014, 26,652 were classified as emergency calls, which were referred to in the reportas dispatch priority code 4 calls.

A code 4 is defined as "acall that must be performed immediately where the patients life or limb may be at risk (e.g. Vital Signs Absent patient or unconscious head injury)."

The response timeforthe 90th percentile of these sorts of calls in 2014 was 11 minutes and 34 seconds,slower by 3.9 per cent compared to2013. That means that in 2014, 90 per cent of emergency calls were resolved within 11 minutes and 34 seconds.

The 90th percentile metric is a standard benchmark historically used to determine paramedic service response.

Rate of calls up

Between 2013 and 2014, the rate of calls per 1,000 increased by 7.3 per cent, which Van Valkenburg saidis substantial.

"It's possible that it's an anomaly, [that] it's just a spike, but it's been sustained for six months, seven months now so I'm thinking that this is probably the new normal," said Van Valkenburg.

"I did a survey with other municipalities and most of the EMS providers surrounding us are experiencing increases, maybe not quite as much as we've been experiencing, but they've all been experiencing increases."

Coun.Tom Galloway said this rate of growth is "unsustainable."

"We wouldhave to keep adding considerable resources if that were to continue to increase at that rate," said Galloway.

Aging population

Van Valkenburgsaid the reasons behind the increasing number of calls is under investigation, but two contributing factors include the aging population and a lack of awareness around when it's appropriate to call 911.

"We've become a social safety net for people that want to get to doctors, into the hospital," said Van Valkenburg.

Coun. Sean Strickland pushed for a public awareness campaign during the community services meeting.

"I've seen it in numerous other cities, on buses, on billboards," said Strickland.

"Grand River Transit, there are buses, we could easily put advertisements up there about when it's appropriate to call 9-1-1. We've talked about it, I just think we need to do it."

Other 2014statistics:

• Code Yellow (Oct. to Dec.): The percentage of time when only three ambulances or less were available in the region increased in the final quarter at an average of 12.5 per cent, which is just over 275 hours.
• Code Red (Oct. to Dec.): The percentage of time when no ambulances were available in the region fluctuated in the fourth quarter,hitting an average of 0.95 per cent, which is close to 21 hours.
• Response times in90thpercentile by city or township for 2014:
  • Cambridge: 11 minutes 42 seconds
  • Kitchener: 10 minutes 24 seconds
  • Waterloo: 10 minutes 29 seconds
  • North Dumfries: 16 minutes45 seconds
  • Wellesley: 20 minutes53 seconds
  • Wilmot: 18 minutes 36 seconds
  • Woolwich: 14 minutes58 seconds