Regarding Toronto Paramedic Services

The paramedics state that their expressed concerns about staff shortage pre-existed the pandemic and that COVID-19 has only made matters worse. They maintain that years of chronic understaffing have left the City of Toronto unable to adequately cope with the service demands especially during call surges. On Saturday January 8, 2022, the paramedic union tweeted a #CodeRed stating that "No units available in the city at 18:38 hours tonight." In following media interviews, City spokespersons shifted the responsibility to province and explained that hospitals were taking longer to off-load the patient in transferring care from the paramedics to the emergency rooms. At this critical point, it is important that City Council understand the status of Toronto Paramedic Services and the extent to which deferred hiring, early retirement or departures, salaries, health and mental health, workload and staff morale are affecting our ability to effectively and efficiently serve and protect the health of Torontonians. Specifically, I am respectfully requesting the following information: 1. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 30 minutes to 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew arriving on scene with a transport vehicle in 2021 and 2018? 2. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 1 hour to 1 hour and 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew arriving on scene with a transport vehicle in 2021 and 2018? 3. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 2 hours to 2 hours and 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew arriving on with a transport vehicle scene in 2021 and 2018? 4. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 3 hours to 5 hours and 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew arriving with a transport vehicle on scene in 2021 and 2018? 5. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 6 hours to 7 hours and 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew with a transport vehicle arriving on scene in 2021 and 2018? 6. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 8 hours to 11 hours and 59 minutes min. from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew with a transport vehicle arriving on scene in 2021 and 2018? 7. How many 911 calls have had a response time of 12 hours or greater from time of first key stroke by call takers to crew with a transport vehicle arriving on scene in 2021 and 2018? 8. In 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 for each year what were the numbers of part-time staff and full-time employees that resigned? 9. In 2021, until the date of this submission what were the number of calls that were referred from Toronto Paramedic Services to Toronto Fire that in the end resulted in a required response from Toronto Paramedics? 10. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 what were the number of Alpha and Courtesy Code 2 priority calls that resulted in a CTAS 1 return by Toronto Paramedics? 11. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 what were the number of Bravo priority calls that resulted in a CTAS 1 return by Toronto Paramedics? 12. How many exit interviews were conducted with resigning or retiring staff vs number that resigned or retired in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021? 13. How does the pay of Toronto Paramedic Services compare to that of neighboring services such as Durham? 14. What was the average number of shifts worked by part-time paramedics in a 6-week cycle in 2021? 15. What specifically is Toronto Paramedic Services doing to retain staff and improve morale? 16. How has the growth of Toronto Fire Services compared to the growth of Toronto Paramedic Services in regards to new stations, additional apparatus, and number of crews being staffed? 17. Has the growth of Toronto Paramedic Services kept in pace with the growth of the city's population? 18. What are the benefits and goals of the part-time paramedic program? 19. How many calls were serviced by a neighboring paramedic service within city of Toronto boundaries in 2021 and 2018? 20. Was there an increase in paramedic calls relating to opioid use in 2021 vs 2018? 21. How many part time paramedics are currently employed with Toronto Paramedic Services? 22. How many full-time paramedics are currently employed with Toronto Paramedic Services? 23. How do those numbers compare to pre-pandemic years (2018/2019)? 24. Has the number of paramedics on WSIB/LTD increased in this time span as well? 25. At the time of this request, how many paramedics are deemed fit to work, not including community paramedics, paramedics in the staff support centre or in roles where they will not be responding to 911 calls? 26. What is the estimated timeline for when the staffing gaps in Toronto Paramedic Services and all other divisions will be fulfilled, the proportionate costs to implement, and an explanation of why it was not achieved sooner and/or whether it can be achieved in 2022?