The City's Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee received updates from Ottawa Paramedic Service and Ottawa Fire Services on their activities and performance in 2023. The Ottawa Paramedic Service continued to face significant challenges in 2023, including increased response volume, excessive time spent in hospital offload delay, and the continued occurrence of level zero events when there are no ambulances available. As a result, the service did not meet all targets and legislated response times for emergency calls. The service has worked to address these challenges by collaborating with hospitals and other partners to minimize the impacts of offload delay and reduce occurrences of level zero events. The number and duration of level zero events decreased by 7.7 per cent in 2023.
Paramedics continued to provide care to individuals in the community and at home through community paramedic programs and the Mental Wellbeing Response Team. Several new and ongoing initiatives are in place to support staff mental health and wellness, including a new paramedic psychologist and peer support programs.
Looking ahead to 2024, the service expects that the launch of the Medical Priority Dispatch System in April will positively impact response times for life-threatening calls. A new telephone system to prepare for Next Generation 9-1-1 will also help make calls more seamless. The service will continue to innovate and refine strategies aimed at reducing delays, maximizing paramedic resources in the community and providing patients with the most appropriate care.
Ottawa Fire Services experienced a notable increase in the number of calls, incidents and vehicle responses in 2023. It responded to more severe and complex incidents, especially those related to extreme weather. Despite these challenges, the service met standards for response times in most categories and continued work on strategic initiatives to meet increased demand as Ottawa grows.
Beyond emergency response, the service continued to focus on fire prevention, fire code enforcement, education and outreach, and staff well-being and mental health. A new recruitment and hiring strategy increased the number of people from diverse backgrounds entering the service last year, with women accounting for 19 per cent of new career recruits in 2023. Another 17 per cent were people representing minoritized groups.
Looking ahead, the service is aiming to hire a permanent mental health care worker to ensure staff have continuous access to crucial support services. The service will also bring forward a new study in 2025 with recommendations for required investments in facilities, fleet and staffing to address development pressures, urban boundary expansion and population growth.