In Nova Scotia, the union representing medical dispatchers has raised concerns about frequent challenges in dispatching ambulances promptly to emergency calls. Issues such as insufficient staffing, inadequate training, and the use of an outdated dispatch system have led to delays in emergency responses, according to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Jeff Callaghan, the national director of the union, highlighted that incidents like the one in Halifax in February, where urgent calls from police did not result in paramedics arriving for 40 minutes, are not isolated occurrences. The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) investigated the incident, which involved a man in a mental health crisis in the Fairview neighborhood.
The SIRT report revealed that despite multiple requests for medical assistance, paramedics were not assigned to the call until much later. Communication challenges between police and EHS dispatch systems, compounded by staffing shortages and a new dispatch system with AI features, were cited as contributing factors to the delays.
Callaghan emphasized the ongoing issues with call stacking, dropped calls, and discrepancies in locating addresses due to outdated maps within the dispatching system. The introduction of the new dispatch system in January 2025 raised concerns as staff had limited training before its implementation, leading to operational challenges.
Meanwhile, Kevin MacMullin, representing Nova Scotia paramedics, acknowledged that ambulance dispatches can be affected by staffing levels, call volumes, and hospital offload delays. He suggested the need for seamless communication between emergency services to improve response times.
Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC), responsible for managing the dispatch system, stated that efforts are being made to enhance communication processes and review the SIRT report findings. Despite the challenges, the company has hired additional personnel to bolster emergency response services since January.
While EMC did not provide further comments, they emphasized their commitment to improving response coordination across agencies. The incident has sparked calls for investigations and highlighted the importance of addressing systemic issues to ensure timely and effective emergency medical services in Nova Scotia.
