County ‘thrilled’ to open new $5.8 million paramedic station in Bradford

Emergency responders are better trained than ever in Bradford.

Paramedics were joined by city and county staff and councilors for the grand opening ceremony of the new Simcoe County Paramedic Station at 480 Miller Park Ave. from Bradford, Wednesday, May 22.

“Today marks an exciting milestone for our county, our dedicated paramedics and the residents and visitors we serve,” said County Health and Emergency Services Chief Executive Jane Sinclair, who presided over the ceremony. “This new station is yet another testament to our continued dedication to strengthening health care and building our communities.”

Sinclair explained the process of finding a location for a new station to replace the old site at Artesian Industrial Pky 170. began in 2014, and after investigating “many different perspectives and an incredible amount of work” as well as with the help of city staff , the new location was selected and rezoned for the new station.

The new station is approximately 576 square meters (6,200 sq ft) with five bays, allowing local paramedics to operate both a 24-hour ambulance and a 12-hour ambulance, still leaving room for additional vehicles, in which paramedics should be able to exit or enter. station faster thanks to pneumatically operated bathroom doors, according to Sarah Mills, director and head of paramedic services.

“We’re excited about the overall growth of the county and we’re very excited to be able to better serve this community and have a better response time,” Mills said, noting the new station is more centrally located and closer to some of the areas more densely populated.

While the number of ambulances and paramedics regularly available at the station remain two and eight, respectively, Mills said the increased footprint will make it easier for the service to grow with the community in the future, which could include a paramedic program which work in partnership. with the local health teams here in Bradford but there is no timeline for that yet.

Meanwhile, the new station was already making it easier for residents to get to paramedics, as Mills said someone actually stopped by before the grand opening to ask for help.

“That kind of high profile is what we’re looking for. They know we’re here, they know to call 911, they know where help is when they need it,” she said.

Mayor James Leduc said the new station is “absolutely excellent” and “means everything” to the community, which is set to grow to around 85,000 residents by 2051. The station in the “best possible location” is expected to improve response. while fulfilling the city’s community and traffic safety advisory committee’s goal of providing more health care opportunities for residents.

“I am very grateful to the county and the staff for working so hard together. Jane Sinclair’s vision to achieve this is wonderful. It took a long time but I did it and I’m so pleased,” he said.

Because Leduc is also a county councilor and chairman of the county’s human services committee, he understands the effort the county is making outside of Bradford.

Springwater Deputy Director and Mayor Jennifer Coughlin explained that the county provides paramedic services to more than 530,000 residents in 18 municipalities, responding to more than 87,000 calls per year, with an average of 240 calls per day.

“As our communities continue to grow and more visitors come to enjoy all that our region has to offer, the county council is committed to ensuring that critical medical and emergency care is available wherever and whenever it is needed.” she said. “Our paramedics are in the business of saving lives, and our goal as municipal leaders is to give them access to the tools and training facilities they need to do that job.”

The ceremony ended with the Simcoe County Paramedic Honor Guard leading a flag-raising parade in front of the new station.

Construction of the station was originally budgeted at $3.75 million when it was given the green light by the county council in June 2022, but even then inflation was expected to push the cost up by $828,000 to $1.7 million dollars, and during the grand opening Collin Matanowitsch, public relations manager for the county, confirmed that the final cost was about $5.8 million.

For more information about the county’s paramedic services, visit simcoe.ca/residents/paramedic-services.

— With files from Rob Paul