Within Toronto Paramedic Services, there are a number of specialized groups that fulfil functions that go beyond our day-to-day requirements and offer internal opportunities and support for our employees.
The Toronto Paramedic Services Bike Unit provides rapid response through congested areas, allowing paramedics to arrive at the patient’s side faster than a traditional ambulance might. As well, the program promotes safe bicycle riding and injury prevention to the public.
The Toronto Paramedic Services Ceremonial Guard is a team of staff members who march at ceremonial events. This group of men and women comprises all areas of Toronto Paramedic Services, from communications, paramedics, support staff, Pioneers, and management. Its purpose is to honour comrades of Toronto Paramedic Services and our allied emergency services, and to support local community events by attending parades and award functions.
Toronto Paramedic Services’ Community Paramedicine Program provides community based medical care, referrals and system navigation to seniors and vulnerable individuals through home visits, remote consultations and wellness clinics.
Highly skilled and specially trained Community Paramedics (CPs) match each patient’s unique needs to the most appropriate intervention, with a focus on health promotion and injury prevention.
The program increases the level of support available to clients by aiding with system navigation and helps manage recurrent medical emergencies that may lead to frequent 911 use and/or Emergency Department (ED) visits.
Community Paramedics have become an integral part of the healthcare system, identifying and addressing gaps in community-based healthcare, and have been an invaluable resource throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to learn more about the Toronto Paramedic Services Community Paramedicine Program.
The Critical Care Transport Unit (CCTU) program transports critically ill patients between hospital intensive care units. These critically ill patients are characterized by specialized needs that include:
Started in 1978, the ESU is the first and longest serving special team at Toronto Paramedic Services. The unit includes two support buses, each with the capacity to treat and transport eight stretcher and five ambulatory patients. The support trucks carry various medical and mass casualty equipment. Small utility vehicles are used at special events when manoeuvring quickly through crowds is important. All these vehicles are staffed by highly skilled paramedics.
The Emergency Task Force (ETF) provides specialized medical care and support to operations of the Toronto Police ETF, and was the first such group in Canada.
When the ETF receives a call, the tactical paramedics, who are on regular duty, are taken out of ambulance operations and respond to the scene. Well-protected paramedics can then proceed into the situation under the direction of the Gun Team sergeant and under the cover of the Gun Team itself.
The capabilities of Toronto HUSAR include, but are not limited to the following:
The Toronto Paramedic Services Marine Unit provides direct paramedic coverage to the residents of the Toronto Islands, offshore sporting events, pleasure craft, and shipping traffic.
The Marine Unit increases water safety in the Toronto Harbour area by
The Peer Resource Team is a peer-nominated group of Toronto Paramedic Services’ staff from various roles throughout the Division who volunteer their time to provide confidential short-term peer-to-peer support for their colleagues following challenging incidents/situations and during times of personal stress. Members of the Peer Resource Team possess additional training including psychological first aid and can provide assistance to individual staff members as well as general response to large-scale or critical incidents. If the situation requires a greater level of support, they have the ability to refer their colleagues to additional available support services as appropriate.