- Corporation d'Urgences-Santé
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Corporation d'Urgences-Santé is Montreal and Laval emergency medical service.
Corporation d'Urgences-Santé Established 1981 Headquarters Montreal, QC Jurisdiction City Employees 1,300 BLS or ALS Both ALS and BLS Ambulances 138 Chief M. Nicola D’Ulisse (President and Director General) Website Urgences-Santé Contents
History
City-wide ambulance service was originally introduced by the city's police service (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal) in 1958. Many of the suburban municipalities followed Montréal's lead. Island-wide service was provided when police services were centralized under the Montreal Urban Community in 1970. By the late 1970s, however, police ambulance training and equipment had fallen behind contemporary standards and the service was finally withdrawn in 1983.
Urgences Santé was created in December 1981 by forming a centralized dispatch system for the region's 25 privately-owned ambulance services. The original full name was Centre de Coordination des Urgences Santé. As part of the program, a single telephone number for EMS – 842-4242 – was introduced for the entire island of Montreal (and the island of Laval). All private services were forced to use Urgences Santé for dispatch and later, billing. The contracting companies were paid to have ambulances available and also paid on a per-call basis. Consolidation of the private companies and formation of a militant labour organization caused much instability including a strike c. 1986.
In 1989 following the transfer of ambulance service to the health and social services department, the system was re-organized.
Organization
There are 1,299 personnel working for the service:
- 7 advanced-care paramedics (Level III)
- 50 dispatchers
- 816 Paramedics (Level I)
- 118 office staff
- 139 unclassified staff
- 105 support staff
Operations
The operations are divided into geographical operations:
- East (Est) – St-Léonard
- West (Ouest) – Lasalle
- North (Nord) – Laval
The operations HQ is in Montreal.
Fleet
The city's ambulances are recognized by their distinctive bright yellow colour.
- 138 ambulances – Type III Ford E450 and Type II Ford E150
- 13 supervisor cars – Ford Crown Victoria
- 13 service vehicles
- 1 mobile command unit
- 1 media relations vehicle
- 1 community relations vehicle
- 8 other vehicles - multiple patient transport, advance care vehicles
- 5 trailers
Equipment
Unlike many EMS systems in Canada that use the Hard hat as headgear, CUSML personnel wear the French F1 helmet.
See also
Other EMS operations in Canada
Other emergency services in Montreal:
References
External links
Montreal Features 
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- Healthcare in Montreal
- Public services in Montreal
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