Emergency paramedic coverage in Sarnia-Lambton has officially been expanded.
A new Lambton EMS shift is now on the road, providing much-needed additional coverage for local residents.
Lambton County Manager of Emergency Medical Services Stephen Turner said this is the first increase in emergency coverage in 14 years.
"Over time, we've seen call volumes increasing year over year, generally around six to 10 per cent a year." said Turner. "One of the big drivers of that is an aging population. About 50 per cent of our calls are for those aged 65 and over. As people get older, they need our services more and that ends up in more calls for service and more busyness for our crews. The increase in our service will go a long way to address that need."
Turner said they were able to promote some part-time paramedics to full time positions. The overall full time complement is at 84, and there are around 70 part time paramedics.
The crew will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days per week covering the hours of peak demand.
They will start in Corunna and move to Sarnia shortly after the start of their shift.
Turner had previously said that Lambton EMS was planning to add a new ambulance in 2023.
He said the annual operating cost for the additional crew and the vehicle is just over $500,000 a year, and the cost is shared 50-50 between the County of Lambton and the Ministry of Health.