District of Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services
Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services is dedicated to the preservation of life, alleviation of suffering and promotion of health and wellness to citizens and visitors of Sault Ste. Marie and area.
Our service employs approx. 70 (64 paramedics and six admin) who deliver provincially mandated emergency medical services to approx. 80,000 people 24/7, responding to over 20,000 calls per year.
Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services has a fleet of 14 vehicles, including ambulances, emergency response vehicles and administrative vehicles.
There are two Paramedic stations within our coverage area, the Regional Emergency Services Complex (RESC) within the city limits, and the Garden River First Nation Base in Garden River First Nation. In 2020, a satellite station was added to the Goulais River Fire Hall, and is staffed with one paramedic.
Deployment
Deployment fluctuates to best meet demand at peak times of the day. As call volume trends change, paramedic deployment follows.
During peak periods there are six ambulances in the district, five in the city and one in Garden River, and one Paramedic Response Unit (PRU) staffed with one paramedic in Goulais River. In off-peak periods, deployment reduces to four in the district, three in the city and one in Garden River.
Paramedics are dispatched from RESC, Garden River, or Goulais River, but can also be dispatched from other locations after they finish a call, and can be dispatched for patient transfers between facilities. Non-urgent transfers may be done by our Service if there are available ambulances in deployment.
Operations
Calls are classified by the Central Ambulance Communications Centre:
Priority 1 ‘Deferrable’: Non‐urgent call with no associated time element. These may be temporarily delayed without physical detriment to the patient.
Priority 2 ‘Scheduled’: Non-urgent call with an associated time element, not set by patient convenience, but by available resources at the receiving facility.
Priority 3 ‘Prompt’: Urgent but non-life threatening call where a moderate delay will not adversely affect the outcome. Ambulances dispatched without lights and siren.
Priority 4 ‘Urgent’: Life threatening or potentially life‐threatening condition where a delay in intervention and transport can have an adverse effect on outcome. Rapid response is crucial and ambulances are dispatched with lights and siren.
Contact
- Kate Kirkham – Chief, Paramedic Services
- Dan Langevin – Deputy Chief, Paramedic Services
- Jeff Bowen – Deputy Chief - Operations, Paramedic Services
District of Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services (DSSMPS)
65 Old Garden River Road, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6B 5A5
Administration Line: 705-963-0251