Frontenac County, Frontenac Paramedics break ground on new paramedic station

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, elected officials, honoured guests, and members of the media gathered at the Frontenac County campus at 2069 Battersea Road for the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new Frontenac Paramedics station.

Located five minutes north of the Montreal Street exit of Highway 401, the new two-bay paramedics station will add capacity for Frontenac Paramedics to accommodate more ambulances and on-duty paramedics as demand for service continues to grow, according to a release from Frontenac County. This station will primarily serve the Rideau Heights and Montreal Street areas of Kingston, the Highway 401 corridor, and the rapidly developing areas of the Township of South Frontenac.

“Congratulations to the County for such incredible work in maintaining top-notch level of paramedic services not just in Kingston but in rural areas as well,” said Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen. “We truly are grateful for the incredible service you’ve provided over the years.”

According to the release, a 2019 submission to Frontenac County Council by international emergency services consultancy firm Operational Research in Health Ltd. (ORH) projected that 408 additional weekly ambulance hours will be required by Frontenac Paramedics by 2029. That means three new ambulances and crews and one extra spare ambulance will be needed to maintain service levels as populations grow larger and skew older, the County stated. The new station will help equip Frontenac Paramedics to accommodate those resources.

“We on Frontenac County Council continue to advocate for fast, reliable, and effective paramedic services for residents of all areas, rural and urban,” stated Frontenac County Warden Denis Doyle. “This new base is just one example of that work completed in Frontenac over the last decade to equip paramedics for the future.”

Costs for the new station will be shared between Frontenac County and the City of Kingston. It is expected that the new base will be ready in the spring.

“This new base is just one of the many steps we’re taking to ensure that Frontenac Paramedics is staffed and equipped to meet the new realities,” said Frontenac Paramedics Chief Gale Chevalier. “We appreciate the support of Frontenac County Council.”

More information about the new Frontenac Paramedics station project can be found here. Read more about Frontenac County Council’s and Frontenac Paramedics’ plan for the future here.