The Municipality is investing more than $300,000 into enhancing the local EMS service. 
Don MacLellan, General Manager of Medavie EMS Ontario, says the enhancement involves hiring new staff to cover an additional 12-hour shift, in response to a number of factors.
“Increase in call demand, increase in the number of times when we go into a Code Zero status, as well as other things including weather, major events in the community, that sort of thing.”
MacLellan says a ‘Code Zero’ is any time there are three ambulances or less on duty in Chatham-Kent, a situation that’s been on the rise locally since 2012.
There are currently eight ambulances on duty during the peak demand hours of 2pm-2am, with the new shift that will be increased to nine.
The Municipality expects the addition of this 12-hour shift to cost approximately $700,000 per year moving forward.
