EMERGENCY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE

MINUTES EPSC-2008-1

The Emergency and Protective Services Committee met on Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 9:15a.m., in the Council Chamber, Regional Administrative Headquarters, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton.

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* See text for arrivals
¨See text for departures

Chaired by Councillor M. Morrison.

1. DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST - Nil

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

RECOMMENDATION EPSC-1-2008:

That the agenda for the May 15, 2008 Emergency and Protective Services Committee meeting be approved.

3. DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS - Nil

4. REPORTS

Items 4c to 4e were dealt with.

c) 2007 Annual Report and System Status Update (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

Received

Peter Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services provided a high level overview of the 2007 Annual Report, Offload Delay and Systems Performance.

Peter Dundas provided members with an overview of the following strategies to improve offload delays and requested direction from members of the Committee

• Develop response time capability strategy;
• Publish data to key stakeholders directly related to offload and system capacity;
• Work with the Government Relations Committee to get the issue on local MPP agendas;
• Address offload through presentations and ongoing discussions with:
  
• LHIN and Hospital Boards;
• Area MPs and MPPs;
  
• Develop notification system for Council, Hospital CAOs, LHIN board members, and area MPPs when Peel system enters Code Capacity; and
• Consider the options for billing hospitals and the transfer of the ambulance billing fee to the Region to partially offset offload loss.

Councillor Mullin expressed concern that the KPMG recommendations addressing offload delay and the lack of communication between Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) have not been resolved. She supports the strategies to improve offload issues and suggested that the strategies include a media campaign to notify key stakeholders of concerns related to the system and offloading.

Councillor Mullin commented that hiring additional supervisors to enhance paramedic supervision present in each emergency department would not be effective unless the main offload issues are resolved.

Peter Dundas noted that the Region is requesting that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care fund a nurse in each Emergency Department to take up to five patients from the Paramedics so they can return to the community.

Councillor Mullin sought clarification as to the frequency of emergency responses resolved by the fire department that do not require ambulance service to the hospitals.

John McDougall, Regional Fire Coordinator and Acting Fire Chief, City of Mississauga and Emergency Services noted that the fire service update the paramedic service on the status and assess whether the patient needs to be transported to hospital.

Peter Dundas advised that the fire department does not have the authority to cancel the ambulance or release the patient. He further added that there is no mandatory requirement that every patient needs to go to the hospital. He noted that the patient has the right to refuse to be transported to the hospital.

Regional Chair Kolb provided an update on his April 8, 2008 meeting with Minister George Smitherman, the Chair of the Government Relations Committee (GRC), the Vice-Chair of Emergency and Protective Services Committee and Region of Peel senior staff. He informed members that the KPMG recommendations and offload delays were discussed. The CACC issues were not raised during their meeting.

Councillor Mullin commented that Minister Smitherman should address the CACC triaging issues, KPMG recommendations and communication system, collectively, to understand the issues completely.

Regional Chair Kolb requested that the charts be amended to include information pertaining to service levels and population growth to reinforce the pressures population growth puts on the system.

Councillor Morrison expressed support for the proposed additional strategies to reduce and improve offload issues.

The Director of Peel Regional Paramedic Services was directed to investigate and where possible implement the additional strategies for improving offload delays and system performance, as described in the oral presentation of the Director of Peel Regional Paramedic Services, dated May 15, 2008, titled “2007 Annual Report and System Status Update”.

The Commissioner of Health Services was requested to provide information on the option of billing hospitals and the transfer of the ambulance $45 billing fee to the Region to partially offset costs associated with offload. She was requested to provide information on whether a sliding scale could be implemented.

d) Facility Plan Update (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

Received

Councillor McFadden inquired if it would be feasible to install a Paramedic station in the Tenth line and Thomas Street area, noting that the City of Mississauga owns the property beside Thomas Street and Tenth Line. She explained that the property was previously designated as a public training facility, which moved to Ninth Line and Highway 407. She suggested that the vacant property could be utilized as a reporting station considering the population growth in that area and provides easy access to hospitals and highways.

Peter Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services and John McDougall, Regional Fire Coordinator and Acting Fire Chief, City of Mississauga and Emergency Services responded that the property size maybe suitable for a satellite station and undertook to review the feasibility of installing a satellite station.

Janette Smith, Commissioner of Health Services advised that the Facility Plan was endorsed by Regional Council last year. She noted that staff is proposing that a report be brought to an upcoming Regional Council meeting to update all members of Council on the progress of the facility plan and obtain approval to begin to flow dollars to the area municipalities for the colocation projects underway.

e) Peel Regional Paramedic Services Vehicle Design (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

Received

Peter Dundas noted that Peel Regional Paramedic Services are launching the new vehicle design. He stated that staff recognized the need to change the ambulance exterior markings to reflect the name “Peel Regional Paramedic Services” and improve safety. One of the new safety features of the new exterior design is highly visible and reflective chevrons in blue and white on the back of the ambulance doors, to achieve better visibility to both the paramedics and residents. He noted that information toolkits were distributed to all members of Regional Council. The media will be informed of the change to the vehicle exterior design. Peter Dundas invited EPSC members to participate in a photo opportunity immediately following the Emergency Management Program Committee (EMPC) meeting to promote the launch of the new vehicle markings.

a) Peel Regional Paramedic Services 2007 Annual Report

Received

Councillor Mullin sought clarification as to why information in the report reflected that provincial funding did not meet the required system growth and that there is no provincial subsidy for capital costs. She further inquired if the Region of Peel receives development charges for the Paramedic Program.

Janette Smith, Commissioner of Health Services responded that the Region of Peel development charges are based on historic service levels.

Dan Labrecque, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer explained that the Development Charges Act does not support the growth phase.

Councillor Mullin inquired if Regional Chair Kolb discussed development charges with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Regional Chair Kolb advised that the meeting focussed on the offload delays.

b) Peel Regional Paramedic Services Offload Delay Update

Received

c) 2007 Annual Report and System Status Update (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

This item was dealt with earlier in the meeting

d) Facility Plan Update (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

This item was dealt with earlier in the meeting

e) Peel Regional Paramedic Services Vehicle Design (Oral)
Presentation by Peter F. Dundas, Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services

This item was dealt with earlier in the meeting

f) Regional Fire Coordination – Annual Report

RECOMMENDATION EPSC-2-2008

That the 2007 Annual Fire Coordinator’s Report of Brad Bigrigg, Fire Chief, Town of Caledon and 2007 Regional Fire Coordinator, dated January 24, 2008, attached as Appendix I to the report of the Commissioner of Corporate Services and Regional Solicitor, dated April 30, 2008, titled “Regional Fire Coordination – Annual Report”, be received;

And further, that Chief Bigrigg be thanked for his efforts during 2007.

Councillor Morrison commended the three area municipal fire services for continuously supporting the Peel Regional Paramedic Services program. She requested that staff share the good news story through a media release highlighting the new facility colocate projects and good working relationships between the area municipal fire services and Peel Regional Paramedic Services.

5. COMMUNICATIONS - Nil

6. IN CAMERA MATTERS - Nil

7. OTHER BUSINESS - Nil

8. NEXT MEETING

Thursday, September 4, 2008
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Council Chamber, 5 th Floor
Regional Administrative Headquarters
10 Peel Centre Drive
Brampton , Ontario

9. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.