THUNDER BAY — Superior North EMS will be flipping the switch on a new dispatch system next week.
Effective Jan. 24th, a new priority system called Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) will be implemented that will allow emergency responses to be tiered based on call/case severity.
The chief at SNEMS, Shane Muir, said emergency medical dispatchers will be able to get more information during a call for service.
"This is really going to help us going forward to disperse our resources more appropriately and have the best unit respond to the most appropriate calls."
Muir stated that in the current system, 70 per cent of current calls are listed as high priority, with a full lights and sirens response. However, when paramedics return, only four percent of the total call volume warrants a top-tier response.
When the changes go into effect, dispatchers will be coding the calls for which response level it best fits.
In having priority guidelines, paramedics will also see benefits during their shifts, like getting their designated breaks and easing the risk of employee burnout.
"So they're rested, recouped and ready to respond to that next call. Oftentimes, they're not getting that break, and it's leading to more burnout and issues down the road. If they're not getting their time off, then just like everybody else, they're humans, and they get burnt out.
"Now that we have actual coding for low acuity responses, we can better manage our resources," Muir said.
As calls are getting prioritized, Muir noted that dispatchers will have the ability to follow up and provide check-ins on less severe calls.
This will also alleviate wait times for paramedics and patients when it comes to offloading at the hospital.
The new system has been tested in other regions, including Toronto, Peel, Halton, Niagara and Kenora.
Muir said it's been years of preparation for the software and training upgrades.
"It's a lot of infrastructure changes as well - so that technology has to be upgraded. We need whole new computer systems and radio technologies in order to implement the system.
"There's also a lot of paramedic training and dispatcher training that goes in. They're creating whole new certification levels that go hand in hand with the MPDS. So we're really excited to see that dispatchers and paramedics are both getting augmented training for this program," Muir said.
The response system that's in place now has been around since the early nineties, Muir said, noting that a lot has changed in the field since then.
Superior North EMS services Thunder Bay and the District of Thunder Bay, from Upsala to Manitouwadge and north to Armstrong.
