Feature Article April 24, 2002
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The Frontenac emergency Response unitby Dave GemmillThe Frontenac Management Board assumed responsibility of Land Ambulance Services in Frontenac County in 1998. The FMB identified one problem - slow response times in the northern areas of the county, and thought that they could be improved. One way of achieving better response times within the financial restraints of this low-call volume area is the Emergency Response Unit.
This Emergency Response Unit began its operation in July 2001, and is now a full-time complement of the Parham Ambulance Service. This 2002 Ford 4X4 Explorer is staffed by one Paramedic during peak time periods. Its fully equipped with basic ambulance equipment such as: a Defibrillator, Cardiac Monitor, Airway Management/Oxygen Bag, S.R. Drugs, and other basic Patient Care equipment.
This unit usually roams the North Frontenac Township during peak hours, and the paramedics have been utilizing the fire halls and municipal buildings in the north as offices. When the ambulances are busy in the southern regions of Frontenac, this unit then assists with balanced coverage for Frontenac, and is placed in Central Frontenac, until ambulances are available to cover the mid and southern areas.
This unit does not transport, but provides reduced response times, advanced patient assessment and life-saving interventions. This paramedic is dispatched to calls in tandem with the closest ambulance. Once the ERU paramedic arrives on scene, he/she performs life saving assessments and interventions, prepares the patient for transport, and communicates with the responding ambulance to apprise the paramedics of the patients condition and treatment. Once the ambulance arrives, paramedics will have a full assessment and some of their patient care already performed, thereby reducing the on-scene time of the ambulance.
If you have any questions concerning the ambulance service of your area, please contact Dave Gemmill at the Parham Ambulance Service, 375-8888.
If you require medical assistance, always call the Ambulance Dispatch first. If you delay by calling other agencies prior to the ambulance, you are only delaying the arrival of professional paramedical care.
911 will not be not active in our area until later this year, so please have the Ambulance Dispatch Number posted by your telephone. Call the Ambulance Dispatch closest to your area.
Parham-Perth-Kingston Ambulance: Kingston Dispatch at 375-8177 or 544-5555 or 1-800-267-2151
Northbrook and Denbigh Ambulance: Renfrew Dispatch at 336-2000.
Response Times for 2002Township/Area
Emergency
Response Unit
Ambulance DifferenceNorth Frontenac
16.2 min.
38 min.
21.8 min.
Central Frontenac
10.15 min.
21.20 min.
11.05 min.
South Frontenac
13.4 min.
23 min.
9.6 min.
Lanark County
18.5 min
23.5 min.
5 min.
Lennox-Addington
30 min.
38 min.
8 min.
