Anthony Di Monte รีทวีตแล้ว
OTTAWA COUNCILLOR SUPPORTS NEW PARAMEDIC HQ IN BARRHAVEN
The City of Ottawa is taking the next step toward a new headquarters for its paramedic service in Barrhaven.
In a report to the city's finance and corporate services committee, staff say the Ottawa Paramedic Service's current headquarters on Don Reid Drive near Heron and Walkley roads is operating well beyond its original capacity and can no longer safely support operations.
That facility, built in 2005, was originally designed for 330 staff, plus 80 ambulances and other emergency response vehicles. Currently, more than 900 staff and 160 vehicles operate out of the building.
Staff attribute that dramatic growth to Ottawa's aging population, a rise in 911 calls and the expanding medical responsibilities of paramedics.
"Ottawa is just growing gangbusters," said Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill, whose ward would host the new facility. "Lots of new houses, new residents out here, new needs from a paramedic supports perspective."
While there are 19 posts around the city where paramedics can rest and eat meals, all shifts start at the headquarters on Don Reid Drive. Staff say that facility can't be expanded, and leasing additional space is not being considered as a long-term solution.
The property under consideration for a new facility is at 4061 Strandherd Dr., near Highway 416. According to the report, that location would improve resource deployment to Ottawa’s fast-growing suburbs, especially to Ottawa's south and west.
"I think Barrhaven has the perfect parcel of land that provides the size, the proximity to the highways," Hill said.
Hill cited a series of "level zero" incidents in recent years, when there weren't enough ambulances available to respond to emergency calls.
Hill noted Ottawa has made gains toward rectifying that problem through new investment and updated policies, but said additional improvements are always welcome.
"We want to make sure that that experience is as good as it possibly can be, and that the city is there to support its residents when they need the most," he said.
Staff are recommending a public-private partnership where the private partner would be responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the facility over a 30-year term. Under such a model, the city would make fixed annual payments rather than paying the full construction cost up front.
According to the report, council has approved $4 million toward the early stages of the project, with the final cost yet to be determined.
The finance and corporate services committee will consider the recommendations on Tuesday.
By: Cameron Mahler
CBC News
English
