Bruce County is changing the way medical 911 calls are prioritized, a move designed to get ambulances to the most serious emergencies faster.
Beginning October 14, 2026, Bruce County Paramedic Services will begin using the Medical Priority Dispatch System, or MPDS.
The system will prioritize calls based on a patient's medical need, meaning the most urgent emergencies - including cardiac arrests, strokes and serious injuries - will receive the highest priority.
The change could also mean some lower-priority calls receive a different response than they would under the existing system.
Bruce County says the current Dispatch Priority Card Index can assign some lower-priority calls a higher priority than necessary, reducing the number of paramedics available to respond to more serious emergencies.
"This enhanced process will improve patient care, support our frontline responders, and help us make the best use of emergency resources across Bruce County," said Bruce County Warden Luke Charbonneau.
Under the new system, people calling 911 for a medical emergency will be asked additional questions about the patient's condition.
Those answers will be used to determine how urgent the call is and what type of response is required.
The county says answering those additional questions will not hold up an emergency response.
"This assessment does not delay care," the county said in announcing the change. "In many cases, the dispatching of responders will be underway while the caller continues to answer questions."
Dispatchers will also be able to provide instructions while an ambulance is on the way, including directions on performing CPR, using an automated external defibrillator, helping someone who is choking, assisting with childbirth or controlling bleeding.
Callers could be asked to remain on the line or receive a follow-up call while waiting for paramedics.
That will allow dispatchers to monitor a patient's condition and change the priority of a response if the situation becomes more serious.
Bruce County says the new system should improve response times for the most urgent emergencies while making better use of available ambulances.
It is also expected to reduce unnecessary lights-and-sirens responses.
Bruce County paramedics are dispatched through the London Central Ambulance Communications Centre, which is moving from the existing system to MPDS.
The county operates 13 ambulances from seven stations in Walkerton, Sauble Beach, Chesley, Kincardine, Tobermory, Wiarton, and Port Elgin.
