Paramedics across Chatham-Kent are celebrating after Council rejected a proposal to blend fire and EMS services. 
Councillors instead voted to grant the current emergency service provider, Medavie, a five year contract extension.
However, Fire and Emergency Services chief Ken Stuebing says by granting a longer than expected contract without supplying more resources, there are still some issues to be worked.
“In analysis we’ve done, and Medavie I think would support that the system is under strain,our response times are getting worse,” Stuebing says. “So it will really be, in discussion with Medavie, to keep an eye over the next few years on those performance metrics. And probably at some point we’ll need to come back to council during the term of that five year contract and see how things are going.”
Before the meeting got underway, dozens of paramedics wearing neon green shirts surrounded the entrance to the Chatham Civic Centre, chanting ‘Model C has got to go’.
