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Ottawa paramedics 'shaken up' by merger plan

The City of Ottawa was blindsided by the Ontario government's budget announcement that the province's 59 paramedic services will be merged into just 10, according to the manager in charge.

"It's shaken everybody up," said Anthony Di Monte, Ottawa's general manager of emergency and protective services. "Municipalities and [the Association of Municipalities of Ontario] are saying, 'What does that mean?'"

'It's very difficult as an executive to give answers if I don't have any data or any facts.' - Anthony Di Monte, GM, emergency and protective services

Di Monte said he'd assumed the changes mentioned in the provincial budget earlier this month related to updating technology in the provincially funded ambulance dispatch centres, a move he would have welcomed. But the notion of combining dozens of paramedic services caught the city unawares.

The city needs clarification, Di Monte said, but there are few scenarios in which the merger could affect the city.

For instance, Ottawa could be made one of 10 regional ambulance providers responsible for a larger area including communities outside city limits.

On the other hand, the province might upload paramedic services to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and employees currently on Ottawa's payroll would become provincial employees, Di Monte suggested.

"It's very difficult as an executive to give answers if I don't have any data or any facts, and not even an idea of what the model is going to look like."

Ashley Burke/CBC
Ashley Burke/CBC

There are 665 full-time positions within the Ottawa Paramedic Service. Front-line paramedics receive half their salary from the city and half from province.

Municipal employees also run the dispatch centre, which is funded entirely by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and serves Ottawa as well as the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Business as usual — for now

For now, Di Monte is keen to avoid creating panic among staff or the public, and has told everyone it's business as usual until he hears more.

"If a senior level of government decides to change things, they'll change things. I know our colleagues in public health are in the same kind of turmoil right now."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health has said the merger won't result in job losses, and said the province will consult with paramedics and municipalities.

Di Monte said it's possible the province could backtrack, but if the merger does come, he expects a major shift to happen soon.

"They were talking about the 2021 budget cycle for them, so that's really quick," he said.