Programs

Peel paramedics enjoy stepping out of the ambulance and into the community. They meet with thousands of residents each year through the Community Outreach program.

The Community Outreach program focuses on:

• Preparing people for an emergency.
• Talking about paramedics and what they do.
• Discussing health and safety, such as how to prevent injuries.
• Encouraging everyone to act and save a life. PRPS employees can demonstrate hands-only CPR and how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator).

The types of visits we take part in are:

• Schools and summer camps
• Career fairs
• Corporate lunch and learns
• Parades
• Seniors’ fairs
• Lobby learnings to teach residents how to use their building’s AED
• Paramedic station open houses and ambulance tours

Invite us to your event

Invite us to your event. We’ll respond within 1 week to let you know if someone is available.

Since we rely on employee volunteers to attend events (especially on evenings or weekends), we may not be able to fulfill all requests.

Paid duty requests

Paramedics can provide medical care for movie, television, and large sporting events such as the Mississauga Marathon. There is an hourly fee for this type of request. Email us for details.

Resources

Children 8 years of age and under may enjoy this printable activity book, starring Medic Moose!

Elementary school students may want to view one of the following videos, which explains what a paramedic does and includes a tour of an ambulance:

• Kindergarten to Grade 2
• Grades 3 to 5
• Grades 6 to 8

Community paramedics help residents before a situation turns into an emergency. Their goal is to reduce 911 calls and emergency room visits. Learn more about Community paramedics.

Acting to save a life isn’t easy, whether you’re a trained medical professional or a member of the public.

Medical emergencies can have long-lasting effects on not only the patient, but also on the person who stepped in to help.

Through our Lay-Responder Support program, we support those who performed CPR or used an AED (automated external defibrillator) in Peel.

If you’ve acted to help someone in a medical crisis, we’ll:

• Connect with you to discuss what happened and answer any questions.
• Help you process your emotions and reassure you that it’s normal to feel confused or sad after acting to save a life.
• Reassure you if you doubt yourself or what you did. The most important thing is you did something, which is why we emphasize acting to save a life. We want you to know you made a difference, no matter the outcome.

If you’ve recently performed CPR or used an AED in a public place in Peel, let us know.

The Lay-Responder Resource Guide

The Lay-Responder Resource Guide provides information on normal reactions to abnormal events. It also:

• Answers commonly asked questions.
• Shares tools and resources to help you recover.

Research is an important way we improve patient care. Partnerships with hospitals and universities to test new drugs, devices, and procedures save more lives today than ever before.

Current medical studies

DOSEVF: Double Sequential External Defibrillation for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation

This 2-year study looks at new ways paramedics can use defibrillators on cardiac arrest patients when standard treatments fail. Paramedics can shock a heart in different directions or do 2 shocks in rapid sequence. These techniques have shown early promise in restarting the hearts of patients who would have otherwise not survived.

PITSTOP:Paramedic Initiated Treatment of Sepsis Targeting Out-of-hospital Patients

This 4-year study explores whether patients with severe infections benefit from receiving antibiotics before they reach the hospital.

Non-medical studies

Drone-delivery AEDs
The 5-year study is underway to see if using drones to deliver AEDs (automated external defibrillators) to bystanders can save more cardiac arrest victims.

Volunteer Community Responder program 
The Volunteer Community Responder pilot program aims to see if crowdsourcing CPR can save more lives in Peel.

Violence against paramedics
Paramedic exposure to violence is a well-documented and growing problem. However, we don’t have a good understanding of the circumstances or consequences surrounding abuse. The objective of the study was to broadly explore paramedic experiences with violence.

When you call 911 with a life-threatening emergency, the first person at your door may be a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) paramedic.

RRU paramedics can reach you faster than other paramedics because they:

• Drive SUVs, which are easier to handle on our busy roads.
• Service the busiest areas.
• Don't take patients to the hospital.

RRU paramedics can start life-saving care as soon as they arrive. They have the same skills and equipment as other paramedics. The only difference is they don’t take you to the hospital.

When paramedics arrive in an ambulance, the RRU paramedic transfers your care and then leaves for the next emergency.

Peel has 8 RRUs on the road at our busiest times.

This team is a group of paramedics who work with the Peel Regional Police Tactical Rescue Unit when needed. They go with police officers to the most dangerous calls involving:

• Weapons
• Suspicious packages
• Hostage and barricaded people
• Search and rescue situations
• Search warrants

Their role is to provide emergency medical care to police officers, suspects, hostages, bystanders, and even police dogs.

They wear special Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as bullet-proof vests and helmets. They carry specific equipment for high-risk situations.

These paramedics are not police officers, although they may look like them. They are not armed, and they cannot arrest people.

There are 2 tactical ambulances for each shift. They respond to regular 911 calls too so don’t be concerned if they show up to help you.

The Peel Regional Paramedic Services (PRPS) Honour Guard includes 25 paramedics — one of whom is an award-winning bagpiper!

All members wear special uniforms and are trained in military drill. The Honour Guard has been representing PRPS at GTA events for nearly 10 years.

It pays homage to fallen comrades through marching at:

• Memorial services.
• Remembrance Day ceremonies, and
• The PRPS Annual Sunrise Ceremony.

The Honour Guard also attends Peel Region events such as the opening of new paramedic stations and paramedic service medal ceremonies.

In 2016, the Honour Guard performed at the opening ceremonies of a Toronto Blue Jays game to pay tribute to the first responders and victims of 9/11.

To learn more or to invite the Honour Guard to your event, email us.