Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

WHEREAS the Ottawa Paramedic Service (“the Service”) has demonstrated measurable improvements in performance, supported by Council’s investments in hiring additional paramedics, purchasing new emergency vehicles, and implementing a new dispatch system; WHEREAS Ottawa’s aging and growing population, combined with persistent pressures on the healthcare system, has resulted in increasing demand for the Service; WHEREAS the Service has achieved a significant reduction in “level zero” occurrences—periods when no ambulances are available for dispatch—along with improved response times for the most critical patients; WHEREAS Ottawa’s vast geography, encompassing over 2,800 square kilometres—of which more than 80% is rural—creates unique service delivery challenges including longer travel distances and lower call volumes in rural areas; WHEREAS timely offloading of patients at hospitals enables faster ambulance turnaround and better coverage across all areas, particularly rural communities where paramedics are frequently redeployed to urban hospitals and become unavailable during offload delays; WHEREAS the implementation of a new Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) at the Central Ambulance Communications Centre in 2024 has enhanced the Service’s ability to triage and prioritize urgent calls; WHEREAS the Service continues to demonstrate innovation by deploying specialized mental health response teams and expanding Community Paramedicine Programs to address non-urgent care needs a

WHEREAS By-law and Regulatory Services staff play a vital role in maintaining quality of life for residents across the City of Ottawa; AND WHEREAS By-law and Regulatory Services serves residents, businesses and visitors through education, administration and enforcement of regulations that address public health and safety, nuisance control and consumer protection; AND WHEREAS By-law and Regulatory Services contributes to the orderly functioning of our city through the enforcement of local regulations related to noise, property standards, animal care and control, parking, business licensing, public spaces, and more; AND WHEREAS By-law and Regulatory Services supports public safety and quality of life alongside other essential services, often responding to urgent matters and collaborating with police, fire, paramedics, and emergency management personnel; AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario, and other jurisdictions formally recognize and celebrate the contributions of Paramedics, Police, Firefighters, and Dispatchers; AND WHEREAS there is currently no province-wide recognition of the professional contributions made by By-law and Regulatory Services staff in Ontario; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Emergency and Protective Services Committee recommend City Council formally proclaim the second Thursday of October each year as “By-law and Regulatory Services Appreciation Day” in the City of Ottawa, serving to publicly recognize and celebrate the contributions of By