/EMS calls down slightly for 2017

EMS calls down slightly for 2017

By Chad Ingram

Published March 20 2018

Calls to Haliburton County’s EMS department were down a little in 2017 from 2016 levels a year-end report shows.

Haliburton County paramedic chief Tim Waite presented that report to members of the county’s EMS advisory committee during a March 14 meeting.

“Our total call volumes were fairly static for the year” Waite told councillors.

There were 6462 in 2017 versus 6509 in 2016 a drop of 47 calls.

Waite said much of the small difference was accounted for through the summer months.

“Where we lost our numbers were in the so-called good weather months which weren’t such good weather this year” he said.

The EMS base in Haliburton village continues to be the busiest of the county’s three bases accounting for 3744 of total calls. The Minden base received 1578 calls and the base in Tory Hill 1140.

As for the most common kinds of medical problems the most common were musculoskeletal injuries accounting nearly 11 per cent of total calls.

“So that would be a fall a sprain” Waite said.

Next were calls for weakness/dizziness/bring generally unwell at 10 per cent; calls for abdominal/pelvic/perineal/rectal pain at nearly seven per cent; dyspnea (trouble breathing) at about 4.5 per cent of calls; and trauma/injury calls for approximately 3.4 per cent.

As for cross-border calls 356 calls in the county were attended by other EMS services while Haliburton County paramedics responded to 332 calls outside the county’s borders.

Regarding the most common patient ages the most calls were made for those aged 80 to 89 at 536 calls. Those aged 70 to 79 accounted for 493 calls; 469 for those aged 60 to 69; 246 for those aged 50 to 59; and 217 calls for those aged 90 to 99.

Haliburton County paramedics exceeded predicted response time standards for the year.