Cambridge Plans New Paramedic Post to Improve Emergency Response

Cambridge is set to establish a new paramedic services post at 651 Concession Road, a move aimed at enhancing ambulance response times and coverage in the city’s south end. The approval, granted by Cambridge’s committee of adjustment, allows for a facility where ambulance crews can park, rest, and respond more swiftly to emergencies. This initiative comes as regional officials seek to alleviate pressure on paramedic resources in Cambridge, which has been experiencing longer response times compared to neighboring municipalities, Kitchener and Waterloo.

During a regional meeting last month, Councillor Doug Craig expressed concern regarding the disparity in response times and questioned how the region could improve Cambridge’s emergency services. Paramedic Chief John Riches highlighted that one significant factor contributing to the longer delays is the off-load time at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Riches noted that, from January to June of this year, the hospital recorded an average off-load time of 68 minutes at the 90th percentile, significantly higher than the 37 minutes at the Midtown site and 33 minutes at the Queen’s site.

Riches pointed out that these delays have shown some improvement compared to the previous year. He stated, “Cambridge is working to solve the problem, but when you have resources stuck in hospitals, even though those resources are in the community, it’s hard to get them out of the hospitals to respond to calls in the Cambridge area.” He emphasized that while off-load delays are not the only issue affecting response times, they are a major contributing factor.

In the first half of 2025, paramedic services in the region responded to 37,162 calls, up from 36,500 in the previous year. Of those calls, Cambridge accounted for 15,765. Notably, the number of Code Zero events—instances when no ambulances are available—decreased from 33 in 2024 to just four this year. Regional staff attribute these improvements to enhanced efficiency and collaboration with local hospitals, though Cambridge continues to lag behind the rest of the region in response times.

Currently, paramedic crews in Cambridge operate from three locations: 120 Maple Grove Rd., 91 St. Andrews St., and 465 Pinebush Rd., Unit 1. The new facility will be designed to accommodate up to six ambulances simultaneously. While staff will be centrally managed, resources will be allocated according to factors such as time of day, call volume, and crew workloads.

The estimated capital cost for the new station is $12.6 million, and it is expected to become operational by late 2027. In a statement, regional officials noted, “This new station is intended to support overall paramedic services response time performance for all of Cambridge and the southern part of the Region of Waterloo.”

Riches added that they are also collaborating with other paramedic services across Ontario to learn from regions that have faster response times. In response to Craig’s inquiry about potential models from rural Ontario with better response times, he expressed a desire for further investigation into these practices, indicating a commitment to continuous improvement in emergency medical services for the region.