The City of Toronto could improve emergency response times and save money if Emergency Medical Services had an integrated dispatch system with Toronto Fire, leaders of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and the Ontario Safety League say.
Brian Patterson, head of the OSL, tells CP24 that he believes the death of a Toronto man due to a reportedly slow response time and the ongoing municipal worker's strike are highlighting problems with the EMS system - and that major changes are needed.
Jim Hearst, 50, died June 25 from an apparent heart attack. Loved ones say the strike allegedly delayed the paramedics' response, leading to his death. But EMS Chief Bruce Farr later said the initial 911 call didn't indicate that there was a "life-threatening" situation.
Patterson and his counterpart at the OAFC will be going to the Office of the Corner to speak about Hearst's death.
The Coroner probes any death that may be the result of 'systemic' problems, and it has the power to make recommendations that could lead to change.
"Strike or no strike, Jim Hearst died inappropriately," Patterson says.
The OSL and the OAFC say combining EMS with the fire department has been done in other major Canadian and American cities, resulting in shorter response times and lower costs.
For the past three years, both the OSL and OAFC have been working together - collecting research about combined EMS and fire services. Officials believe now is the time to push for this type of change.
EMS Chief Bruce Farr has requested that the Ministry of Health review the incident. City officials say they will no longer comment on the matter while the review is underway.
