CANCELLED: Media Advisory; Sudbury paramedics to join rally Monday in Ottawa to protest risky proposal to water down paramedic services' response

Attention news desks: 12:30 p.m. Ottawa paramedic rally is cancelled

Out of respect for participants of The Paramedic Ride arriving this afternoon at Ottawa City Hall, today's 12:30 p.m. paramedic rally at Ottawa City Hall is cancelled. The Paramedic Ride is a not-for-profit, volunteer group raising funds in support of a national paramedic monument in Ottawa.

| Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) - Ontario Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) - Ontario

SUDBURY, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 21, 2015) - Sudbury paramedics will join paramedics from across Ontario at a rally on Monday, September 21 2015 (12:30 p.m.) outside Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier) to bring attention to a proposal they believe will compromise paramedic services' response and increase risks for the public.

The proposal by the Ontario Fire Fighters' Association to let fire fighters with 20 hours of training respond to emergency medical calls "is like playing Russian roulette with the public," says Rick Sasseville with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, paramedic group and a Sudbury paramedic.

While the trend for decades has been to increase the qualifications and skills of paramedics, the fire proposal "dramatically reverses that trend to high-calibre medical training. The consequences of an increased fire role will likely be serious," says Sasseville. "Paramedics treat patients in emergency situations where lives are in peril. This fire proposal amounts to a dramatic reduction in expertise. Symptom relief skills should only be provided by a fully certified paramedic, not by those who are focused on a completely different profession."

The fire initiative, which must receive provincial government approval before it goes forward, calls for "fire-medic" instructors to undergo 16 hours of training. Upon successful completion of this training, they would train and certify a quarter of the current firefighters through a 20-hour course.

Currently Ontario paramedics are graduates of approved two-year programs and must pass ministry of health certification.

While the province needs to approve the changes fire is looking for, municipal governments that directly deliver emergency services will also be impacted by additional costs, should the changes be made.

"Governments that implement such measures must answer for this policy when problems occur," says Sasseville.

CUPE paramedic members holding their annual conference in Ottawa, this Monday and Tuesday, will attend Monday's 12:30 p.m. rally at the Laurier and Elgin entrance to Ottawa City Hall.

CUPE represents over 6,000 paramedics and emergency response communications staff across Ontario.

Contact Information:

Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
416.559.9300