Updated 911 medical dispatch system comes to Hamilton

The Ontario Ministry of Health Hamilton Central Ambulance Communication Centre will soon introduce an updated dispatch system to enhance 911 emergency response.

The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) works to ensure that every 911 medical call is assessed using evidence-based protocols, leading to enhanced triaging of ambulance 911 calls and helping to deal with the most serious emergencies first.

The standardized system is developed by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and assists trained emergency medical dispatchers in assessing the urgency of emergencies and prioritizing responses.

The City of Hamilton says that the new system will help to see that individuals facing life-threatening emergencies receive the fastest response and highest level of care available, helping paramedics reach those in critical need.

“There’s a difference between a car accident, where people are severely injured and trapped, and potentially need resources really, really quickly, and a minor fender-bender where people are out walking around and maybe have no injuries at all,” said Dave Thompson with the Hamilton Paramedic Service. “Before, there was no difference in the triaging.”

It will be rolled out across Ontario at different times, and is already being used in Toronto and the Niagara Region.

The system — to go into effect Nov. 5 in Hamilton — is used by thousands of agencies worldwide, including in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

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