| Paramedic Services | Effective Date: December 31, 2023 |
| Topic: Operations Directives | Replaces: April 30, 2022 |
| Subject: Remote/Technical Rescue | Policy No. G.3.11. 2023 |
To provide direction for accessing incidents and providing care to the public when deployed vehicles can’t gain access due to natural barriers, including but not limited to waterways, terrain, or snow accumulation. Additionally, this Directive will set out authority for actions by personnel in remote events.
APPLICATION
Patient rescue includes a variety of activities that range from light extraction to technical actions and remote response/search and rescue. Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Paramedics are not certified or approved to engage in technical rescues. A number of allied agencies possess the designation for such activities, and Paramedics will assist where appropriate. Such assistance will take place with Paramedic Superintendent approval, in conjunction with an approved lead agency. The role of Paramedics in such events is to enhance the overall mission success.
Where any patient is not accessible by road, or within a reasonable distance from such a roadway, Paramedics shall communicate as much detail as possible to the CACC ACO and request rescue resources appropriate for the event. Appropriate response agencies would normally include Fire Services, Police Services, Air Ambulance resource, or in the geography around the City of Greater Sudbury, the CGS Emergency Services Remote Response system.
Use of off-road vehicles including snowmobiles, ATVs or boats will be authorized if road access is not possible, where the operator of the equipment has been trained specifically for such responses. Such agencies include the Ontario Provincial Police, Municipal Police Services, Fire Services, MNR, and Search and Rescue agencies. Paramedics are not permitted to traverse frozen waterways, unless such routes are approved by the MTO.
Safety equipment and PPE must be donned to allow authorization for Paramedics to take part in rescue activities.
Paramedics shall maintain communications coverage with the CACC ACO when possible. The Paramedic Superintendent will work with the ACO to ensure community coverage is reinstated where possible.
In all instances of call activities/efforts that fall within this directive, each Paramedic shall complete and submit an Incident Report.