OttawaThe amount of time when there were no Ottawa ambulances available to respond to new calls decreased significantly last year.Off-load delays show some improvement, but not enough, new report showsCBC News · Posted: Jun 13, 2025 2:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 33 minutes agoThe number of ‘level zero’ events in Ottawa — periods during which no local ambulances are available for service — decreased significantly last year, according to a new report to city councillors. (Francis Ferland/CBC)The amount of time when there were no Ottawa ambulances available to respond to new calls decreased significantly last year.The improvement in “level zero” events is noted in a new report from the Ottawa Paramedic Service, tabled ahead of the next meeting of the city’s emergency preparedness and protective services committee.In 2024, the amount of paramedic service time lost during level zero events totalled 190 hours. That’s down 79 per cent from the previous year. By comparison, between 2021 and 2024, the total time lost over the course of a year averaged 624 hours. 2022 was a particularly bad year, with the paramedic service logging 1,217 level-zero hours. Offload time still laggingOffload delays at local hospitals — which happen when a paramedic crew can’t immediately transfer the care of a patient to hospital staff — continues to be a significant contributor to level zero events, according to the report.But 2024 saw improvements in off-load times, too. They’ve now dropped to three-year lows at all Ottawa-area hospitals. Last year, the Ottawa Hospital’s General and Civic campuses recorded 112.73 and 112.78 minutes of off-load delay, while Montfort Hospital recorded 159.01 minutes. Still, the report notes, off-load delays fall short of the desired 30-minute performance target. The emergency preparedness and protective services committee will meet to discuss the latest statistics on June 23.With files from Elyse Skura
Ottawa made big gains in ambulance availability last year
