The union representing medical dispatchers in Nova Scotia has raised concerns about frequent delays in ambulance response to emergency calls, citing issues such as inadequate staffing, training, and the use of outdated maps in the dispatch system.
According to Jeff Callaghan, the national director of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents Nova Scotia medical dispatchers, incidents like the 40-minute delay in Halifax in February are not isolated cases but occur regularly.
Callaghan’s comments come following a recent report from Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), which investigated the incident in Halifax’s Fairview neighborhood on Feb. 22.
The SIRT report revealed that delays occurred when police called for medical assistance, and despite repeated requests, paramedics were not dispatched promptly. This led to a situation where an ambulance did not arrive until 8:24 p.m., resulting in the death of the individual in cardiac arrest.
The report highlighted challenges in communication and coordination between police and Emergency Health Services (EHS) dispatch systems, exacerbated by a new dispatch system with an artificial intelligence component.
Callaghan emphasized the issue of staffing shortages at the communications center, leading to calls being queued or dropped without dispatching ambulances promptly.
Concerns were also raised about the new dispatch system implemented in January 2025, with staff reporting difficulties due to outdated maps and inadequate training.
Kevin MacMullin, the business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727 representing Nova Scotia paramedics, echoed concerns about delays in ambulance dispatch due to low staffing and high call volumes.
Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC), the company managing the dispatch system, stated that the maps are regularly updated and the system utilizes AI to enhance resource deployment.
While the company acknowledged the need for improved communication processes, it did not provide an interview regarding the specific incident in February.
Despite the challenges highlighted, EMC mentioned hiring over 120 new personnel for various roles since January to enhance emergency response services.
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