A new five-year, $82-million land ambulance service contract is being recommended for approval in Chatham-Kent.
At their upcoming December 9, 2024 meeting, Council will consider a recommendation by administration to enter into contract for Medavie to provide emergency medical services for a five-year period from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029, at a total contract price of $82,857,813.
“The current contract between the Municipality and Medavie EMS will be coming to an end on December 31, 2024,” Chris Case, Chatham-Kent’s Fire Chief, said in a staff report.
“Medavie began providing Land Ambulance Service to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 2012. The responsibility for the provision of land ambulance service rests with upper-tier regional government or a designated delivery agent. As such, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent must provide an ambulance service to the region.”
Case added: “Currently, the land ambulance service in Chatham-Kent is being provided by an external contract provider. In the year 2000, the province downloaded the responsibility for Land Ambulance services. The Municipality has contracted out the provision of Land Ambulance through multiple requests for proposal and service contract negotiations.”
Case said since the download of EMS from the province to upper-tier municipalities, the majority of other municipalities have moved to a direct delivery model for EMS, except the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Elgin-St. Thomas, and a few small hospital-based services, including: Dufferin County, Parry Sound and Lanark.
Perth County, Lennox and Addington have Medavie provide General Managers to oversee the operation with the paramedics being municipal employees, Case added.
Case said all ambulances, equipment and EMS stations are owned by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and Medavie provides staffing and oversight of the Land Ambulance Service contract.
There are currently 14 ambulances, three support vehicles for supervisors, three vehicles for the Community Paramedicine program and a mobile support trailer.
Medavie provides Land Ambulance Service to the Municipality from six Municipally owned EMS Stations strategically placed throughout the Municipality in Chatham, Wallaceburg, Tilbury, Thamesville, Ridgetown and Blenheim.
Case added Medavie has provided fixed pricing for the next five years and the EMS Land Ambulance contract is 50% funded by the Ministry of Healh.
Read Case’s full report, here.
The Monday, December 9, 2024 Council meeting will be held at Civic Centre in Chatham starting at 6 p.m.
