Hospital ship for Canada

[Halifax Tar]

Sorry for the late post. I felt it helpful to add the legislation.

This is the Ontario Act relevant to the CAF ( in Ontario ).

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER A.19

Holding out​

20.0.1

The BHosp in Halifax used to have civ pattern ambulance at the ready when I first joined the RCN.

 

[mariomike]

The BHosp in Halifax used to have civ pattern ambulance at the ready when I first joined the RCN.

The CAF operated ambulances long before that.

As a part-time Pres MSE Op, and full-time licenced paramedic, I used to drive ( driver only ) CAF ambulances from time to time. But, the CAF was not a licenced ambulance service. At least, not in Ontario. So, i was not a licenced paramedic, while driving a CAF ambulance.

Ie: I could work as a licenced paramedic, at a licenced ambulance service, in Kenora, ON.
Or, any other licenced ambulance service, in Ontario.

But, my paramedic licence was not valid on the Service Bn. ambulances i drove out of the old Dennison armoury in Toronto, because the CAF is not a licenced ambulance in Toronto, or anywhere else in the Province of Ontario.

Licenced ambulance services in Ontario,

While under municipal government control, it is subject to provincial legislation and licencing. It is not the only service provider in its area; private-for-profit medical transport services also provide routine, non-emergency transports and coverage for special events, but the statutory emergency medical system is the only provider permitted to service emergency calls.

As BlackAdder1916 pointed out,

The CAF has never operated "ambulance services" in the same manner as civilian organizations so the call volume has never been enough to meet licensing requirements.

I was referring to Ontario legislation. No idea what it is out of province.

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER A.19

Holding out​

20.0.1

No person other than a paramedic acting in the course of or in relation to his or her duties as a paramedic for an ambulance service shall hold himself or herself out as a paramedic. 2017, c. 25, Sched. 1, s. 6.

That is when the PCP qualified Med Tech appeared in the Reg F. We (at the coal face) knew from the very outset that it was just not sustainable for a variety of reasons. PCP was seen as the one qual that was accepted (mostly) across Canada, allowing our pers to be posted, or employed on DOMOPS without too much difficulty. Reality was very different though, as has been noted above.

Hope that helps. Whatever the provincial licencing legislation is in Nova Scotia, you would know that better than me.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

My dad had the honour of backing a RCAF ambulance into the then new emergency room at Comox, much to the stern words and glares for the Nursing Sisters there.

 

[Blackadder1916]

The BHosp in Halifax used to have civ pattern ambulance at the ready when I first joined the RCN.

The CAF operated ambulances long before that.

As a part-time Pres MSE Op, and full-time licenced paramedic, I used to drive ( driver only ) CAF ambulances from time to time. But, the CAF was not a licenced ambulance service. At least, not in Ontario. So, i was not a licenced paramedic, while driving a CAF ambulance.

My previous comment about "not operating ambulance services" did not mean that we didn't (don't?) have ambulances available and use them for both emergencies and non-emergencies. We just rarely crewed ambulances full-time; they were usually on stand-by, either at a base medical facility or, more likely, at base MSE section. Since we don't usually provide health services to civilians (read 'dependants'), that limits where a CAF ambulance needs to go. Also, the military (and dependent) population is generally young and healthy so the demographic that is often the 'medical' (vice 'trauma') customer for ambulance service isn't in high volume on military establishments. Most of the military 'trauma' customers occur either away from military environs or during scheduled events when there are usually specifically detailed amb coverage, e.g. crash amb during flying ops. But sometimes the 'standby crew' was the patient as in the case of the civilian MSE driver at CFB Borden who had an MI and passed away while sitting in the amb outside the BHosp; only to be discovered when an ambulance call came in.

But there have been times when we provided amb services for short periods that were similar to civilian services or even as replacement for civilian services. I specifically recall my time as amb crew during the Commonwealth Games 1978 in Edmonton. 1 Fd Amb provided the ambulance coverage for the Games instead of Smith's Ambulance (the private ambulance service under contract to the City of Edmonton) because we could do it cheaper and just as effectively. Well, 'maybe' just as effectively; we didn't f*** up but there were a few snags along the way, some that showed up on TV coverage (or would have if viewers had a closer view and knew enough about EMTing).

And also in Alberta, ambulance services were provided to the Cold Lake PMQs and some limited areas in the vicinity of the base. But back then we had a Canadian Forces Hospital (CFH) that provided care to dependents (most of the business at the CFH, OB/GYN being top of the list) and also to some First Nations (not a major workload). On one of my few ambulance runs while there doing my TQ4 OJT, we delivered a baby in the amb (okay, the mother did all the work - it wasn't her first rodeo).

 

[mariomike]

On one of my few ambulance runs while there doing my TQ4 OJT, we delivered a baby in the amb (okay, the mother did all the work - it wasn't her first rodeo).

Hope you got your Stork Pin!


As far as domestic emergency operations, in Ontario - CAF, private or municipal -

Ontario Regulation 257/00 Part III restricts use of the title "Paramedic" to individuals while on-duty with a municipal ambulance service.

For private companies,

6. Can XXXXX transport patients from an event to a hospital if need be?

No, XXXX cannot transport patients from an event to a hospital. If an incident occurs where a person needs to be sent to the hospital, 911 will be called so an an ambulance "in service" can come.

https://canaphem.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Event-Medics-Freq-Asked-Questions.pdf