Ottawa paramedics 'shaken up' by merger plan

The City of Ottawawas blindsided by the Ontario government's budget announcement that the province's 59 paramedic services will be merged into just10, according to the manager in charge.

"It's shaken everybody up," saidAnthony Di Monte, Ottawa's general manager of emergency andprotective 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 provincialbudget earlier this monthrelated to updating technology in the provincially funded ambulance dispatch centres, a movehe would have welcomed. But the notion of combining dozens of paramedic services caught the cityunawares.

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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 areaincluding 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."

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

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

Business as usualfor 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 hearsmore.

"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 Healthhas said the merger won't result in job losses, and said the province will consult with paramedics and municipalities.

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

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