EMERGENCY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE

MINUTES EPSC-2011-4

The Emergency and Protective Services Committee met on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at 9:58 a.m. in the Council Chamber, Regional Administrative Headquarters, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A, Brampton.

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* See text for arrivals
¨See text for departures

Chaired by Councillor P. Palleschi.

1. DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST - Nil

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

RECOMMENDATION EPSC-11-2011:

That the agenda for the November 17, 2011, Emergency and Protective Services Committee meeting be amended to include an oral update on the Region of Peel’s Rapid Response Units, to be dealt with under Other Business – Item 7a;

And further, that the agenda for the November 17, 2011, Emergency and Protective Services Committee meeting be approved, as amended.

3. DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS - Nil

4. REPORTS

a) Ambulance Communications and Dispatch Services Review Update

Received

Councillor Hames inquired if staff could provide her with additional information on the Region of Peel’s position on dispatch services to take to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Board of Directors Meetings.

David Arbuckle, Manager of Government Relations and Public Policy, undertook to provide information to her, and requested that any information post-meetings be shared with staff in order to strengthen future advocacy positions with the latest updates.

Regional Chair Kolb suggested that knowing the number of separate dispatch systems across the Province may help illustrate how the Region of Peel could effectively advocate for a new message to the Province on the urgency of this issue.

Janette Smith, Commissioner of Health Services, stated that at a recent meeting of the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), the CEO tabled the 2011/2012 operational plan for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care which only speaks to the simultaneous notification study related to dispatch of Paramedics. Based on this, the province does not seem to have a review and improvements to the dispatch system as one of its immediate priorities.

Councillor Palleschi inquired if any of the other municipalities that provide dispatch services are as concerned about improvement to dispatch services as the Region of Peel.

David Arbuckle reported that messaging coming out of staff meetings with other municipalities such as the County of Simcoe and the Regions of Halton and Durham reveal that it is a priority for them; however, currently it seems to be a one-way conversation with the Province. Staff are going to call a meeting of the Regional Chairs/ Wardens, CAOs and Paramedic Chiefs to discuss advocacy strategies and will also be meeting with AMO staff.

b) Peel Regional Paramedic Services Offload Delay Update

Received

A copy of a handout is available from the Office of the Regional Clerk.

Peter Dundas, Chief and Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services, outlined where the Region of Peel Health Services is focusing their efforts at improving offload delay. The update focused upon three major themes aimed at reducing the pressures on the system: reducing demand for paramedic services to transport to ER for certain types of patients where possible; improving the process in the local emergency rooms – most notably at Brampton Civic; and increasing the supply of services for alternative level of care patients in the Long Term Care division (Special Behaviour Support Unit and enhancements to Adult Day Services, both funded by LHINs).

5. COMMUNICATIONS

a) Carmela Radice, Legislative Coordinator, City of Mississauga, Letter dated October 28, 2011, Advising that at its Meeting held on October 26, 2011, the City of Mississauga passed Resolution 0254-2011 in Support of a Study of the Delivery and Funding of Fire and Paramedic Services in the Region of Peel

Received

6. IN CAMERA MATTERS - Nil

7. OTHER BUSINESS

a) Peel Regional Paramedic Services Rapid Response Units (Oral)

Received

Councillor Saito inquired if staff could provide clarification on what the Rapid Response program is and when it was approved.

Janette Smith, Commissioner of Health Services, advised that staff tabled the concept and rationale for rapid response units at the September 2009 and April 2010 EPSC meetings. EPSC approved the use of the units and the minutes were approved at the Council meeting following EPSC. Staff proposed implementing the units within the approved budget to improve response times and address system pressures.

Peter Dundas, Chief and Director, Peel Regional Paramedic Services, noted that one paramedic is assigned to a separate vehicle that is used to help reduce response times to emergency scenes due to their single purpose of quick response. The Rapid Response vehicles are always mobile and respond to Code 4 (siren and red lights used) calls.

Councillor Saito thanked staff for the update and requested this information be forwarded to Mayor McCallion in the form of a memo.

8. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Emergency and Protective Services Committee is scheduled for Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 9:00 a.m., Regional Administrative Headquarters, Council Chamber, 5th floor, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A, Brampton, Ontario.

Please forward regrets to Curtiss Law, Committee Clerk, (905) 791-7800, ext. 4330 or at curtiss.law@peelregion.ca

9. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 10:25 a.m.