County’s proposed staff hirings for 2026 prioritize paramedics

The County of Essex is looking to bolster its EMS resources as the region’s growth continues to put more pressure on the system.

County officials gave the initial approval Wednesday night to hire 11 new staff in 2026, primarily focused on Essex-Windsor EMS. The approval will have to be solidified in the county’s upcoming budget deliberations.

Proposed staffing additions include four primary care paramedics, four advanced care paramedics and a manager of EMS physical resources.

“So we know volumes are going up. So we know we’re at a point where, you know, we definitely need more resources and the call volume is quickly outpacing us,” said Justin Lammers, Chief of Essex-Windsor EMS.

Lammers told CTV News after the meeting there’s a need for balance between growth in staffing and equipment, such as ambulances.

“So some of the positions you saw, eight paramedics, for primary care, for advanced care that’s coming out of our master plan, that’s calling out for two 12-hour shifts next year,” he explained.

“We’re looking to jump on that and get that going. You know, it’s a balanced approach. We’ve got to make sure that we’re growing equally.”

In an unrelated report presented Wednesday, council heard the service is meeting response targets for most calls.

However, responses to sudden cardiac arrests are falling within the six-minute response window about 46 per cent of the time, compared to the target of 55 per cent.

It’s being attributed to down-staffing of ambulances, offload delays, codes red and black, call volumes and resource enhancements.

“Our goal is to make sure that we’re getting to people’s side when they need us. We’re getting [defibrillators] to their side,” Lammers said.

“So any time we’re not actually hitting our mission, it’s a concern for us.”

Lammers added that continuing to address the ongoing growth must include expanding their manpower and having the physical resources to do the job effectively.