911 Response

911 Response

The County of Huron’s Emergency Services team of qualified paramedics provides emergency medical care and coordinates emergency response efforts with other local emergency service providers, such as 911 dispatch, fire services, and local law enforcement, to ensure help is available when it’s needed most.

The Work We Do:

  • Provide 911 response and primary care services  through efficient, consistent, and quality operations.
  • Triage patients, provide necessary medical treatment, and safe transportation to hospital emergency rooms.
  • Manage the deployment of emergency medical resources to crisis situations.
  • Supporting public engagement programs through community events and public education.

Paramedic Services

Huron County’s Paramedic Services delivers emergency pre-hospital medical care to all residents and visitors of Huron County for life-threatening medical emergencies and transportation of sick or injured patients.

Our Team

Our highly trained paramedics respond to approximately 10,000 calls annually at a wide range of medical emergencies, fires, water rescues, industrial and farm accidents, and highway traffic accidents. The 100 Huron County Paramedics, 7 Supervisors and 7 Management/Administration staff form an integral part of the County’s emergency preparedness team and are certified providers of pre-hospital care.

Our Resources

Our 13 ambulances, 4 rapid response units, and 1 duty superintendent unit cover an area of 3,402 square kilometres, providing emergency medical response to a population base of approximately 61,366* people.

With the new Province of Ontario Performance Measures, it is important to attempt to meet the eight minute response time established by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Huron County’s Paramedic Services is dedicated to continually improving not only their reaction and response times within the County of Huron, but also the patient care that is rendered to the citizens of Huron County.

*Statistics Canada for the County of Huron as defined during the 2021 Census year.
Source: Statistics Canada 2021

Ambulance Bases

Huron County’s Paramedic Services provide 24-hour paramedic services from seven bases and two posts strategically located throughout the region.

Bases
  • Exeter
  • Goderich
  • Tuckersmith (Kinburn Line/Hwy 8 Intersection)
  • Wingham
  • Clinton
  • Zurich
  • Bayfield
  • Brussels
Posts
  • Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh

Careers

Huron County’s paramedics are highly skilled, compassionate professionals, trained to provide emergency medical treatment and transport sick and injured people. All of our paramedics are graduates of a post-secondary ambulance and emergency care diploma program and have their provincial Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant certification. They are trained with the skills to operate a defibrillator, carry out blood glucose testing, manage a patients airway and administer a variety of life-saving medications.

Every paramedic annually participates in continuing medical education training to ensure that Huron County residents continue to receive the highest quality of pre-hospital emergency medical care and treatment.

Training Programs

A complete listing of Paramedic Education and Training Programs is available from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Job Postings

Consider paramedic career with the County of Huron! Check our Job Postings section to see if there are any positions available. Applications and resumes are always accepted and kept on file for a period of six months by Human Resources.

Only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. Information is collected solely for the purpose of job selection under the provision of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

 

Student Co-op Opportunities

Interested in becoming a paramedic and want to learn more about the emergency services field?

We know youth opportunities are important and will gladly take the time to mentor interested students in a short-term co-op opportunity. Reach out to the County of Huron Emergency Services Department for availability and more information.

 

Student Bursary

From time to time, the CUPE 4513 Paramedics of Huron will offer a Bursary Program for a student seeking a career as a Primary Care Paramedic in Ontario. Check this webpage regularly for future busary opportunities.

 

9-1-1 Information

What is 9-1-1?

9-1-1 is a phone number that connects you to emergency ambulance, fire or police assistance. This emergency phone service is available throughout Huron County and most of North America.

When should I call 9-1-1?

Call 9-1-1 whenever you or someone with you is in a life-threatening situation. These situations include when someone needs emergency medical help, to report a fire or a crime in progress.

The following are a few examples of when you should call 9-1-1 immediately for emergency medical care:

  • severe pains or tightness in the chest,
  • shortness of breath,
  • a person is choking or having difficulty breathing,
  • anyone found unconscious,
  • a suspected fractured or broken bone,
  • severe bleeding,
  • sudden, severe headaches, vision problems, weakness, numbness and/or tingling in the face, arm or leg, trouble speaking or dizziness; and
  • if a child has diarrhea or vomiting, won’t drink and is at risk of becoming severely dehydrated.

Remember: If you have any doubts, call 9-1-1. The paramedics will take you to the appropriate emergency department.

I accidently called 9-1-1!

If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, stay on the line to tell the 9-1-1 operator that everything is okay. If you hang up before speaking with the operator, they will call you back and/or dispatch a police vehicle to investigate the situation. Do not call 9-1-1 for non-emergencies – it takes services away from people who do need them.

What happens when I call 9-1-1?

The 9-1-1 operator will ask if you require ambulance, fire or police assistance. Your call will be quickly transferred to the appropriate emergency dispatcher.

Stay on the line and be prepared to answer all questions asked; answering questions does not delay emergency response. For medical emergencies, be prepared to answer the questions related to the patient’s condition.

  • Is the patient conscious?
  • Is the patient breathing?
  • What is the address or location (e.g., main intersection) of where the patient is located?
  • What phone number you are calling from?
  • What is your name?

Stay on the line until the 9-1-1 operator tells you it’s okay to hang up.

How can I be prepared for 9-1-1?

Make sure you and your children know your complete address and phone number. If you live in a town or village, know the name, street and house number. If you live in a rural area know your municipality, road name and civic address number. Residents should regularly check to make sure their civic address number is clearly visible from the road.

What do I do in an emergency?

In the event of a medical or traumatic emergency, the most important thing to remember is to remain calm. Always remember the following points:

  • stay calm and give clear information to the 9-1-1 operator,
  • provide accurate directions to your location,
  • do not move the patient, unless his or her life is being threatened,
  • make sure someone stays with the person requiring help,
  • if additional help is available, have someone meet the ambulance and direct the paramedics to the patient,
  • if your call is at night, turn on the outside lights of your house, or the four-way flashers of your vehicle, so paramedics can see your location; and
  • if you live in an apartment, try to have someone meet the paramedics at the lobby door.
Who do I call for non-emergency calls?

Ambulance, police and fire departments throughout Huron County all have administrative telephone numbers to receive non-emergency calls. In these cases, use the following telephone numbers:

Police: Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) – Huron Detachment 1.888.310.1122

Ambulance: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 519.524.8394 ext. 3507

Fire: Refer to your municipality’s information to contact your local fire department.

I live in an urban area, are there specific requirements for the size and placement of my house number?

It is recommended that your house number be at least 5 inches in height and be made of reflective material. The placement should be on the front of the house or building facing the roadway.

Do not place the number where it may become blocked from view by a vehicle, foliage, seasonal decorations or snow.

For some properties, it may be wise to place one number at the roadway on the privacy fence or gate and one number on the house itself. This address can be used by others for reporting an emergency involving your property or for those requiring assistance on the roadway.

If emergency, call 911

During business hours, contact:
Emergency Services Department
Phone: 519.524.8394 ext. 5
If after-hours, contact:
On Duty Superintendent
1.866.340.9357

Contact Emergency Services

County of Huron | Emergency Services
401 Beech Street, 2nd Floor
Clinton, ON
N0M 1L0

Phone: 519.524.8394
Fax: 519.524.5147

Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.