Just some observations, nothing more meant by this.
I didn't hear any priority colors used yesterday, still the old code numbers were used.
But this morning heard them use the new priority colors and seemed to be going well. I find it interesting, as the day went on, sometimes they are starting out code.... , then switch to priority color......
The same thing happened when OPP close Smiths Falls, it started out they all said Orillia or North Bay, but as time went on officers looking for dispatch would often say Smiths Falls. And to this day, I still hear some say Smiths Falls usually in hurried, urgent times.
When a dispatcher from years at Smiths Falls moved to Orillia at a later date, said I will likely make mistake and say Smiths Falls but I assure you I am in Orillia.
The OPP has been really proactive in centralizing dispatch. When centralization started years ago, they closed Peterborough and I remember thinking it was probably a bad idea because dispatchers in Orillia would not know the roads or local knowledge.
When I listen now, and contrast that to several years ago, the dispatchers in Orillia are really closely-coupled with the officers in the cruisers. I think that the increased computerization of policing - NicheRMS, and the mobile computer has re-factored the role of dispatcher to something like an executive assistant that is there to assist with organizing information and preparing the officer with what they might need, so that they are going into an incident with a lot of information. And I also hear the Officers communicating with high regards and respect for the in office counterparts at the "desk".
To be clear, I think the way this seems to "flow" between dispatcher and officer is really amazing. It's like they are in the car together and in-tune with whats going on. It's crazy how much they know about an address, the occupants and previous calls, but I can certainly understand (for officer safety) why this is so important. Mapping, databases and proper integration of this in operations has resulted in OPP Comm Centers seemingly working very well.
In contrast, you listen to MOH CACC dispatch, and it's classic 1970's dispatch telling ambulances where to go, and it sounds like borderline chaos most of the time, operating in CMEC too much the time, code 8's to cover all the time.
An ambulance will be dispatched on a Code 3. They just get rolling, and then a Code 4 comes in and they get redispatched.
If you listen for a couple of hours any evening, you'll hear the same code 3 calls dispatched multiple times to ambulances.
It's not uncommon to hear that a Code 3 has been in queue due to CMEC for over an hour.
And we know why it's like this - The Hospital ERs are jacked up. "Transfer of Care Not Available" is probably said a thousand times a day on Ontario ambulance radios, followed by "Offload Delay". The Paramedics are spending 1/3rd of this shift being ER Docs instead of being available for the next call.
The conclusion I draw from this is that there are more smart people in the Ministry of the Solicitor General and OPP than there are in MOH.
And that maybe OPP should also run the ambulance dispatch centers because they have seemingly did a much better job of modernizing and centralizing, and redesigning workflows.
Back to CACCs... I suspect that once they get them all on the same CAD system with the new triage scheme, there may be a move to consolidate CACCs. Certainly they have engaged consultants on that a few years ago.
