Changes coming to paramedic dispatch in Sudbury, Manitoulin Island area

Paramedics serving communities across Manitoulin and Greater Sudbury will be dispatched differently starting May 20. New dispatch protocol aims to match resources with patient needs.

Published by: ElliotLakeToday.com
Author: ElliotLakeToday Staff
May 17, 2026

ESPANOLA – Starting May 20, 2026, Ambulance Communications Officers in the Sudbury Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC), will adopt the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), to improve the deployment of paramedic resources to meet patient needs by matching resources with the clinical situation and prioritizing the most urgent calls to 9-1-1.

The MPDS is an evidence-based technology that has become the industry standard for patient triaging and is subject to ongoing testing, development, and quality assurance measures. The system is currently being used by Toronto, Niagara, Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Renfrew, Georgian, Kingston, Oshawa, Lindsay, Hamilton and Cambridge CACC.

With the MPDS, people in the region calling 9-1-1 can expect more detailed questions from ambulance communications officers. These questions help emergency personnel gather specific information about a patient’s condition to make quick and effective dispatch decisions.

This change will affect how paramedics from the Manitoulin and Sudbury districts respond to calls. The Medical Priority Dispatch System optimizes paramedic resources, prioritizing the most urgent 9-1-1 calls, and ensuring the right care at the right time for people living in the region.

The expansion of the Medical Priority Dispatch System is part of the Ontario government’s Your Health plan, to help Ambulance Communication Officers understand a patient’s level of urgency and triage them accordingly, and to ensure that paramedic services provide immediate care to patients with life-threatening injuries, while easing pressures on emergency departments.

Low-urgency incidents will be dispatched as soon as an appropriate ambulance is available and will receive follow-up call-backs to check on the patient’s status. If the patient’s status during the follow-up call requires immediate medical attention, a paramedic will be dispatched.

“The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Paramedic Services department remains dedicated to providing direct patient care and transportation to the sick and injured in all the communities we serve” said Robert Smith, Chief of Paramedic Services. “The introduction of the Medical Priority Dispatch System in our region will ensure that paramedics are dispatched appropriately when responding to 9-1-1 calls and help alleviate delays in responding to the most critical and emergent calls.”

Click here to learn more about the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB’s Paramedic Services department and the Medical Priority Dispatch System.