Dispatch paramedics refer 40 per cent of reviewed 911 calls to alternative options
Here’s a great example of a quality dispatch triage systems effectively managing low-acuity 911 “EMS” requests.
Article Themes:
- Dispatch-based clinical triage is safely reducing unnecessary ambulance responses.
- Advanced care paramedics use structured clinical assessment through Priority Solutions, Inc.’s Emergency Communications Nurse System to match patients with the right resource.
- Long-term follow-up and prevention are central to the model.
Dispatch paramedics refer 40 per cent of reviewed 911 calls to alternative options
Anna Ferensowicz
Jul 29 2026
Advanced care paramedics working in Alberta’s emergency dispatch centres referred 40 per cent of close to 6,000 reviewed 911 calls to alternative care options after a new clinical triage model launched May 26, Emergency Health Services Alberta says.
The reviewed calls represented 8.9 per cent of what the agency described as “all 911 demand.”
The July 13 release did not define the geographic scope or precise reporting cutoff for that percentage beyond saying the calls had been reviewed since the program launched.
EHS Alberta also did not provide regional figures, patient-outcome data or before-and-after figures for ambulance response times and emergency department transportation.
How calls are assessed
Following the initial handling of a 911 call, advanced care paramedics may be connected with lower-acuity callers to conduct a more detailed assessment.
The paramedics are stationed in Alberta’s Central Communications Centre and Southern Communications Centre.
They use the Emergency Communication Nurse System, which EHS Alberta describes as a structured clinical assessment tool for triaging low-acuity patients.
The agency said alternatives offered through the program included self-care advice, primary-care referrals, Mobile Integrated Healthcare, taxi transportation and alternative response vehicles.
The remaining 60 per cent of reviewed calls received an ambulance response when clinically appropriate, according to the release.
EHS Alberta did not provide a breakdown showing how many calls were referred to each option or how many were closed without an ambulance being dispatched.
“Our paramedics in dispatch provide self-care advice and reassurance to callers while confirming clinical acuity and priority, ensuring patients who do require EMS receive an appropriate response,” Les Fisher, managing director and chief of EHS Alberta, said in the release.
“Safely identifying cases that can be closed without ambulance dispatch helps keep ambulances available for when they are truly needed.”
Model based on other jurisdictions
EHS Alberta said its model is based on programs used in Saskatchewan, Niagara Region, Wales and New Zealand.
The agency said emergency response vehicles will always be available for patients with high-acuity needs.
Patients with unknown or suspected high-acuity conditions will continue to be transported by ambulance, according to the release.
EHS Alberta said the model is part of efforts to improve response times, reduce unnecessary transportation to emergency departments, improve patient flow and strengthen emergency health services.
The release did not provide figures showing whether those measures have changed since the model began.
EHS Alberta oversees air and ground ambulance services, interfacility transfers and dispatch operations, including services delivered by contracted partners.