Emergency Medical Services

Northwest EMS

Northwest Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the Paramedic/Land Ambulance services division of the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB).

As a service of the Kenora District Services Board, Northwest EMS is committed to the provision of effective and efficient District- wide services that support its individuals, families and communities in reaching their full potential.

Northwest EMS is committed to providing exemplary care and transport that meets recognized professional standards in a safe and timely manner to individuals, families and communities in need of assistance.

Our Operations

Northwest EMS operates Paramedic services across the entire Kenora District, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

Northwest EMS employs approximately 120 Primary Care Paramedics and 10 administrative personnel to operate our Paramedics Services across the Kenora District with a fleet of 37 vehicles including:

Northwest EMS has a fleet of 25 Ambulances and has chosen Type III Ambulances where we can carry two stretcher bound patients at a time. This allows us to provide care to multiple patients, considering the distances involved between our communities and hospital locations.
Northwest EMS has five (5) Community Paramedic Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV’s). These Ford Explorers meet the Ministry of Health Emergency Health requirements for Emergency Response and are also designed to meet the needs of the Community Paramedic program.
Photo of Community Paramedic Emergency Response Vehicle
The KDSB maintains one (1) Emergency Support Unit (ESU), which is truly a unique vehicle here in Ontario. The ESU was obtained from the Ministry of Health in 1999. This vehicle provides support and emergency supplies to Paramedics as needed in a major disaster or multi-casualty incident.
Northwest EMS has six (6) Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV’s). These Ford F150 vehicles meet the Ministry of Health Emergency Health Services Branch requirements for Emergency Response Vehicles and are designed to meet a variety of needs in operating an Ambulance Service.

Ambulance Bases

Nine Ambulance bases are located strategically throughout the Kenora District to provide coverage for our communities.

Dryden Ambulance Base & District Administration Headquarters

51 Memorial Avenue South
Dryden, Ontario, P8N 2L8
(807) 223-2100

Building:

  • 8 bays – 9,343 sq. ft.

Vehicles:

  • 4 Ambulances (2 frontline, 2 backup)
  • 1 Multi-Casualty Support Vehicle
  • 2 Emergency Response Vehicles (Support/Command)
  • 1 Emergency Response Unit – Community Paramedic

Staffing:

  • 911 Response:
    • 2 crews daily and 1 crew at night
    • Paramedics (11 Full Time,  3 Part-Time, 4 casual)
    • 1 Superintendent of Operations – Oversees Central Region operations for the Dryden, Ear Falls and Red Lake Bases
  • Community Paramedicine:
    • Community Paramedics (2 Full Time, 1 Part Time)
    • 1 Community Paramedicine Administrative Assistant
    • 1 Superintendent of Community Paramedicine
  • Administrative Support:
    • 1 EMS Administrative Assistant
    • 1 EMS Scheduler
    • 1 Deputy Chief of Operations
    • 1 Deputy Chief of Professional Standards
    • 1 Director and Chief of EMS
    • 1 Superintendent of Quality Assurance
    • 1 Superintendent of Training

Ear Falls Ambulance Base

46 Balsam Street
Ear Falls, Ontario, P0V 1T0
(807) 222-3799

Building:

  • 2 bays – 2,476 sq. ft.
  • KDSB Owned

Vehicles:

  • 2 Ambulances (1 frontline, 1 backup)

Staffing:

  • 1 crew – 24/7 (Night On-Call)
  • Paramedics (3 Full-Time, 1 Part-Time, 1 Casuals)
  • 1 Paramedic Coordinator

Ignace Ambulance Base

301 Rand Street
Ignace, Ontario, P0T 1T0
(807) 934-6465

Building:

  • 2 bays – 2,853 sq. ft.
  • KDSB Owned

Vehicles:

  • 2 Ambulances (1 frontline, 1 backup)

Staffing:

  • 1 crew – 24/7 (Night On-Call)
  • Paramedics (3 Full-Time, 1 Part-Time, 3 Casuals)
  • 1 Paramedic Coordinator

Kenora Ambulance Base

80 Fourteenth Street North
Kenora, Ontario, P9N 4M9
(807) 468-8079

Building:

  • 4 bays – 5,561 sq. ft.
  • KDSB Owned

Vehicles:

  • 5 Ambulances (3 frontline, 2 backup)
  • 1 Emergency Response Vehicle (Support/Command)

Staffing:

  • 3 crews – On-site 24/7
  • 45 Paramedics (22 Full-Time, 7 Part-Time, 16 Casuals)
  • 1 Deputy Chief of Operations
  • 1 Superintendent of Operations – Oversees western region operations for the Kenora, Sioux Narrows and Nestor Falls bases

Kenora Satellite Ambulance Base

Suite B – 2378 Highway 17 East
Kenora, Ontario, P9N 0G8

Building:

  • 2 bays – 3,024 sq. ft.
  • Leased

Vehicles:

  • 1 Ambulance
  • 1 Emergency Response Vehicle (Support/Command)
  • 1 Emergency Response Unit – Community Paramedic

Staffing:

  • 911 Response:
    • 1 crew – 12/3 (Night On-Call) providing Service to Wabaseemoong Independent Nation
    • Paramedics (2 Full-Time)
    • 1 Superintendent of Operations – Oversees western region operations for the Kenora, Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, Sioux Narrows and Nestor Falls bases
  • Community Paramedicine:
    • Community Paramedics (2 Full Time)

Nestor Falls Ambulance Base

Tri-Lake Road, Highway 71 South
Nestor Falls, Ontario, P0X 1K0
(807) 484-2300

Building:

  • 2 bays – 2,560 sq. ft.
  • Leased from Township of SN/NF

Vehicles:

  • 1 Ambulance

Staffing:

  • 1 crew – 12/3 (Night On-Call)
  • alternating schedule with Sioux Narrows to give 24 hour coverage in the area
  • Paramedics (2 Full-Time)

Pickle Lake Ambulance Base

20 Patricia Avenue
Pickle Lake, Ontario, P0V 3A0
(807) 928-2081

Building:

  • 2 bays – 1,590 sq. ft.
  • Leased from Township

Vehicles:

  • 2 Ambulances (1 frontline, 1 backup)

Staffing:

  • 1 crew – 24/7 (Night On-Call)
  • Paramedics (3 Full-Time, 1 Part-Time)
  • 1 Paramedic Coordinator

Red Lake Ambulance Base

51D Highway 105
Red Lake, Ontario, P0V 2M0
(807) 727-3286

Building:

  • 2 bays – 2,853 sq. ft.
  • Leased from Red Lake Hospital

Vehicles:

  • 2 Ambulances (1 frontline, 1 backup)
  • 1 Emergency Response Unit – Community Paramedic

Staffing:

  • 911 Response:
    • 1 crew – 24/7
    • Paramedics (8 Full-Time, 1 Part-Time, 1 Casuals)
    • 1 Paramedic Coordinator
  • Community Paramedicine:
    • Community Paramedics (1 Full Time)

Sioux Lookout Ambulance Base

3 Meno-Ya-Win Way
Sioux Lookout, Ontario, P9T 1B8
(807) 737-4366

Building:

  • 3 bays – 4,843 sq. ft.
  • KDSB Owned

Vehicles:

  • 3 Ambulances (2 frontline, 1 backup)
  • 1 Emergency Response Vehicle (Support/Command)
  • 1 Emergency Response Unit – Community Paramedic

Staffing:

  • 911 Response:
    • 2 crews – 24/7
    • Paramedics (14 Full-Time, 6 Part-Time, 3 Casuals)
    • 1 Superintendent of Operations – Oversees eastern region operations for the Sioux Lookout, Pickle Lake and Ignace bases
  • Community Paramedicine:
    • Community Paramedics (1 Full Time)

Sioux Narrows Ambulance Base

10 Fickas Road, Highway 71 South
Sioux Narrows, Ontario, P0V 1N0
(807) 226-5218

Building:

  • 2 bays – 2,509 sq. ft.
  • Leased from Township of SN/NF

Vehicles:

  • 2 Ambulances (1 frontline, 1 backup)

Staffing:

  • 1 crew – 24/4 alternating schedule with Nestor Falls to give 24 hour coverage in the area
  • Paramedics (3 Full-Time, 1 Part-Time, 2 Casuals)
  • 1 Paramedic Coordinator

Northwest EMS Paramedics

In the Kenora District, Northwest EMS is extremely proud of our Paramedics and the care they provide to our public.

Paramedic Education in Ontario

To become a Paramedic in Ontario, you must attend college for a minimum of two years. Once you have completed the Primary Care Paramedic program, you have to write the Ontario provincial A-EMCA exam.

What skills does a Primary Care Paramedic typically have?

A Primary Care Paramedic in Ontario has advanced skills that fall under more than 25 Advanced Care Medical Directives. These skills include such things as:

  • Cardiac monitoring/defibrillation
  • 12 lead Rhythm interpretation
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
  • King LTS-D Supraglottic Airway
  • Advanced Emergency Childbirth
  • Intravenous & fluid therapy
  • Administration of numerous approved medications.

Within this legislation (Ambulance Act, Reg. 257/00) and working with our local Base Hospital (The Northwest Region Prehospital Care Program) and the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards (ALSPCS) we have made sure our Paramedics have some of the best training possible.

Northwest EMS Primary Care Paramedic Groups and Teams

The following is a list of Paramedic groups that help improve our operations:

Peer Support Team

KDSB staff members in partnership with Naotkamegwanning EMS have developed a peer support team which allows for staff to have contact with a peer 24/7, 365 days a year.

This peer support is available to all KDSB staff and is comprised of people who were nominated by their peers, and are people who want to help coworkers in their times of need.

Their goal is to improve the emotional wellness of peers in the workplace.

EMS Technology Working Group

To help staff deal with the rapid changes occurring in Paramedicine, the KDSB and its paramedics have formed an EMS Technology Working Group.

This group looks at technological changes in our equipment, assists in new equipment purchases and helps trouble shoots technological issues which may affect our staff. Technological changes can be extremely stressful in the workplace and this group is trying to make things as smooth and seamless as possible for their co-workers. The more help we have in introducing new technologies, equipment and training, the better equipped we will all be.

Response Times

To improve quality of care, Northwest EMS provides to communities, there is a need to continually evaluate and reassess the work that we do.

One of the key documents we provide annually to the Ministry of Health is a Response Time Performance Plan. We set our goals and do our best to achieve them. The Kenora District is unique in the Province of Ontario. In order to achieve our patient care response times, Northwest EMS:

  • Strategically locates its bases to provide the best response times possible
  • Works daily with the Ministry of Health Central Ambulance Communications Centre to maintain proper and appropriate coverage

Response Time Performance Plan

Response time is not the best indicator of performance. Response time allows Northwest EMS to track issues and ensure we are meeting the needs of our calls in a timely manner. This information is required by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care – Emergency Health Services Branch and is reported on an annual basis.

This information can also be seen on the following website with access to multiple years and includes all Land Ambulance Services in Ontario: Land Ambulance Key Performance Indicators – Response Time Reports.

Learn more about personal health information here

Access Northwest Emergency Medical Services Portal (KDSB NWEMS Staff Only) here