What Happens When You Call 9-1-1

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On March 26, 2025, the Ontario government will change the way 9-1-1 calls are assigned in Northumberland. The process outlined below will come into effect at that time. The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) will improve the use of paramedic resources, giving paramedics the best chance to save your life or the life of someone you love. 

In the case of a medical emergency, Northumberland Paramedics are always here to help.

When calling 9-1-1

Under our new MPDS system, when you call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency, dispatchers from Lindsay Ambulance Communications Centre will answer your call and ask you a few more questions than they currently do.

These questions will help determine the level of urgency of your call and the appropriate resources required to respond, including any specialized care you may require. This is how dispatchers will match available paramedic resources to a person’s medical condition, ensuring that patients in life-threatening situations receive the most immediate care.

The details you provide may also be passed along to medical teams at the hospital to help them prepare for your care upon transfer.

Helpful reminders

• Please provide as much detail as possible when responding to questions.
• Please be patient and kind to the dispatchers - they are trying to get you the help you need.
• Dispatchers may provide you with instructions on how to help the patient while waiting for paramedics to arrive — this could include CPR, first aid, or giving medications like EPI-pens.
• If you are placed on hold, please do not hang up.

What is MPDS?

The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) is a software system developed based on decades of research and medical evidence. It helps dispatchers determine which 9-1-1 callers need help first, based on the severity of their medical condition, and ensures we get the right resources to the right person, at the right time.

• An international evidence-based model is proven to demonstrate better response times for the most urgent medical emergencies.
• Implemented in over 46 countries and over 35,000 ambulance communications centres around the world.
• Over the past 10 years, it has been rolling out in a number of larger cities and regions throughout Ontario, including the City of Toronto, City of Ottawa and Niagara Region.
• MPDS is now mandated to be implemented in all paramedic services across Ontario by the end of 2026.
• In Northumberland County, the system will be implemented on March 26, 2025.

Using this tool, dispatchers assess the patient's condition during the 9-1-1 call and dispatch paramedic resources appropriately. This ensures resources are effectively managed and reduces the risk of these resources being exhausted when critical calls come through.

MPDS gives paramedics the best chance to save your life or the life of someone you love in the case of a critical emergency.

Reasons for change

Residents with life-threatening illnesses and injuries need medical help quickly. Under the MPDS system, the questions asked by dispatchers during a 9-1-1 call are more detailed, helping to better determine the urgency of a call.  This change will help dispatchers assign the right resources to the right person, at the right time — giving paramedics the best chance to save your life or the life of someone you love in a critical emergency.

How long will it take for paramedics to arrive?

If you call about a life-threatening medical emergency, the goal is to get you help within minutes.

If you call about a less urgent matter — such as a broken bone with no bleeding, flu, bad sprains, or other lower-priority issues — you will still get help, but may experience longer wait times while paramedics assist more urgent calls. Wait times could be up to 4 hours. While you wait:

• The dispatcher will check in with you every 30 minutes.
• They will continue to assess your symptoms, provide instruction and ensure you have the support you need.
• If your symptoms get worse, your call will be reprioritized in the system.
• If something changes suddenly, immediately call 9-1-1 again.

Please know that if you are waiting, it is because paramedics are assisting someone with a more urgent medical emergency in the community. All calls are important, and our team will get to you as quickly as they can.

If your condition is not an urgent matter and you aren’t sure if it requires an emergency response, please explore other local health care options in the community to see if they may be a better fit.

Unsure if you should call 9-1-1?

Always call 9-1-1 immediately when you are experiencing an emergency that threatens life, safety or property. This may include medical emergencies that require immediate treatment or medical care, including chest pain, serious bleeding, trouble breathing, seizures, or loss of consciousness.

If you’re unsure if you need to call 9-1-1, ask yourself: Is this an emergency? Or could my condition be addressed by one of the health care options below:

• Walk-in health clinics
• Your family doctor
• Pharmacies
• 211 – an online resource and hotline that can help connect you with local health care services in your area, including walk-in clinics, community health centres, medical professionals, home support programs, hospitals, transportation to medical appointments, and more.
• Health 811 – a hotline and online chat service that connects you with a registered nurse for a free consultation, day or night. 811 offers secure and confidential health advice from the comfort of your home.

By choosing the right alternative to 9-1-1 for non-urgent matters, you can help reduce the demand on local emergency services and ensure the necessary resources are available to save the life of someone who is critically sick or injured.