On June 9th I asked a few questions at the Oshawa Safety & Facilities Committee meeting concerning the 23 page Oshawa Fire Services 2024 Annual Report, which was on the agenda as SF-25-33 https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx...
It is a good report and likely following the City Council meeting on Monday June 23rd, it may be made available on-line in a flip book format, like the 2023 Fire Services Annual Report.
This week the Fire Chief and senior staff kindly provided the following responses to my questions (and the one at # 7 below asked by Councillor Lee):
Question 1: I was seeking further information on the number of fire incidents that were determined to be arson?
Response 1: There were 18 suspected arson fires for all property types (e.g. detached dwellings, vehicles, automobiles…) in 2024.
Question 2: Also as the statistics on page 16 are not in the most accessible format, could you provide the data in a chart similar to the one in the 2023 Oshawa Fire Services annual report.
Response 2: see chart of Oshawa Incident Response by Type copied below.
Question 3: I am interested in that actual number, and if possible, with this month of June being close to mid-2025, are the medical response incidents under or over mid-year last year?
Response 3:
2024 – Jan 1 – May 31: 1261 medical responses
2025 – Jan 1 – May 31: 877 medical responses
(breakdown provided in graph copied below)
Question 4: Do you have a breakdown of the medical incident stats related to drug overdoses, and by Ward?
Response 4: 2024 Suspected Overdose incident responses by Ward:
• Ward 1: 4
• Ward 2: 25
• Ward 3: 23
• Ward 4: 441
• Ward 5: 133
Total 626
Question 5: Is there going to be some kind of verifiable tracking to confirm the kind of expected improvements it should have and is so, what would be the data categories be?
Response 5: We currently track all call types through our records management system (RMS) please see the chart under response to question 3 as the chart outlines the data categories for medical responses.
Question 6: Are you aware if any lakeshore municipalities in Durham Region are compensated by the Region for their fire services medical responses?
Response 6: Not to our knowledge. Important note: during last year’s Regional budget deliberations, the Regional Council decided to download the cost of medical supplies for medical responses to the lower tier municipalities starting this current budget year 2025. In the past, supplies were ordered by the Region of Durham Paramedic Services (RDPS), and Regional Fire Services submitted order forms to RDPS for the required supplies.
Question 7: (asked by Councillor Lee) What is the average cost to residents of the city of Oshawa for fire services?
Response 7: The question is difficult to quantify, as individual residents are not the only, or necessarily the primary, source of tax, service, or penalty revenue to the city; instead, property owners and others who pay for services or penalties are also involved. The approximate average fire service costs based on the 2024 fire services capital and operating budgets combined are below.
2024:
• Average cost per resident: $204
• Average cost per property owner: $664
Question 8: What is MPDS system that is used by EMS/Paramedic Services?
Response to 8: MPDS system stands for Medical Priority Dispatch System. It’s the system used to handle emergency medical calls in a consistent and efficient way. When someone calls 911 with a medical emergency, the dispatcher follows a structured set of questions built into MPDS to figure out exactly what’s going on. This system helps the dispatcher quickly determine the severity of the situation. Based on the answers, it assigns a specific code, called a "determinant code," which tells us how serious the call is and what kind of help to send like basic life support or advanced life support. Overall, MPDS helps make sure every medical emergency is handled consistently and appropriately.
It is a good report and likely following the City Council meeting on Monday June 23rd, it may be made available on-line in a flip book format, like the 2023 Fire Services Annual Report.
This week the Fire Chief and senior staff kindly provided the following responses to my questions (and the one at # 7 below asked by Councillor Lee):
Question 1: I was seeking further information on the number of fire incidents that were determined to be arson?
Response 1: There were 18 suspected arson fires for all property types (e.g. detached dwellings, vehicles, automobiles…) in 2024.
Question 2: Also as the statistics on page 16 are not in the most accessible format, could you provide the data in a chart similar to the one in the 2023 Oshawa Fire Services annual report.
Response 2: see chart of Oshawa Incident Response by Type copied below.
Question 3: I am interested in that actual number, and if possible, with this month of June being close to mid-2025, are the medical response incidents under or over mid-year last year?
Response 3:
2024 – Jan 1 – May 31: 1261 medical responses
2025 – Jan 1 – May 31: 877 medical responses
(breakdown provided in graph copied below)
Question 4: Do you have a breakdown of the medical incident stats related to drug overdoses, and by Ward?
Response 4: 2024 Suspected Overdose incident responses by Ward:
• Ward 1: 4
• Ward 2: 25
• Ward 3: 23
• Ward 4: 441
• Ward 5: 133
Total 626
Question 5: Is there going to be some kind of verifiable tracking to confirm the kind of expected improvements it should have and is so, what would be the data categories be?
Response 5: We currently track all call types through our records management system (RMS) please see the chart under response to question 3 as the chart outlines the data categories for medical responses.
Question 6: Are you aware if any lakeshore municipalities in Durham Region are compensated by the Region for their fire services medical responses?
Response 6: Not to our knowledge. Important note: during last year’s Regional budget deliberations, the Regional Council decided to download the cost of medical supplies for medical responses to the lower tier municipalities starting this current budget year 2025. In the past, supplies were ordered by the Region of Durham Paramedic Services (RDPS), and Regional Fire Services submitted order forms to RDPS for the required supplies.
Question 7: (asked by Councillor Lee) What is the average cost to residents of the city of Oshawa for fire services?
Response 7: The question is difficult to quantify, as individual residents are not the only, or necessarily the primary, source of tax, service, or penalty revenue to the city; instead, property owners and others who pay for services or penalties are also involved. The approximate average fire service costs based on the 2024 fire services capital and operating budgets combined are below.
2024:
• Average cost per resident: $204
• Average cost per property owner: $664
Question 8: What is MPDS system that is used by EMS/Paramedic Services?
Response to 8: MPDS system stands for Medical Priority Dispatch System. It’s the system used to handle emergency medical calls in a consistent and efficient way. When someone calls 911 with a medical emergency, the dispatcher follows a structured set of questions built into MPDS to figure out exactly what’s going on. This system helps the dispatcher quickly determine the severity of the situation. Based on the answers, it assigns a specific code, called a "determinant code," which tells us how serious the call is and what kind of help to send like basic life support or advanced life support. Overall, MPDS helps make sure every medical emergency is handled consistently and appropriately.
