York Region EMS set to have name change to Paramedic Services

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 6, 2015
By Lisa Queen

Out with York Region Emergency Medical Services, in with York Region Paramedic Services.

York Region councillors approved changing the EMS name at a committee meeting Thursday, although the switch must still be endorsed by council on Nov. 19.

It will cost about $50,000 over five years to replace signs at stations and $1,000 to change stickers on automated external defibrillators.

However, the region will minimize most of the costs by phasing the name change in over time.

For example, every year, the region updates the graphics on 20 per cent of its fleet.

Vehicle decals with the new name will be phased in over five years, meaning there will be no additional cost.

If the decals were changed immediately, it would have cost $100 a vehicle for a total cost of $9,500.

New uniforms will also be phased in over time, resulting in no additional cost.

Station flags are replaced twice a year so there will be no additional cost to change them with new ones.

All other regions in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as a majority of communities elsewhere in the province, have already switched from EMS to Paramedic Services, a report to the committee said.

“The renaming of Emergency Medical Services to Paramedic Services is uniquely prominent across Ontario in order to more accurately reflect the work paramedics perform,” the report said.

“The use of Paramedic Services distinguishes paramedics from other service providers such as fire services, many of who have adopted Fire and Emergency Services.”

To date, 27 former EMS services in Ontario, or 54 per cent, have changed their names, including Toronto, Durham, Peel, Halton, Simcoe, Waterloo, Hamilton and Ottawa.