A brief history of the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada:
2007 – In February 2007, the Emergency Medical Services Chiefs of Canada (EMSCC), released its blueprint for the future of EMS in Canada that was called “The Future of EMS in Canada: Defining the Road Ahead”. It is better known as “The White Paper” and has defined a national strategy for EMS which embraces six key strategic directions:
![About EMS Chiefs of Canada](https://www.paramedicchiefs.ca/images/photo5-481x225.jpg)
Clear Core Identity: Who and what EMS is, clearly and consistently.
Stable Funding: Ensuring the consistent availability of those community resources which are required in order to provide high quality EMS services.
Systematic Improvement: The EMS system must be open to change, and directly accountable for performance in a complex and ever-changing environment. It is not enough to say that EMS is doing a good job; EMS must be prepared to prove this, regularly, consistently, and transparently.
Personnel Development: Paramedics are one of those rare and wonderful groups for whom learning never stops. EMS must ensure that both education and training of staff are sufficiently robust to enable both personal and professional growth for paramedics, as well as the highest quality of care, embracing all new and appropriate technologies in order to provide maximum medical benefit to each patient.
Leadership Support: Just as we no longer put just anyone in the back of an ambulance, we must also ensure that those responsible for the day to day operation and planning of each EMS system have the specific knowledge and skill sets necessary to operate an EMS system at maximum performance.
Mobilized Health Care: As health care in Canada changes and evolves, EMS must change and evolve along with it. EMS is no longer simply a medical transportation service; there are increasing numbers of places in the world where both the role and the scope of practice of paramedics have evolved to provide definitive primary care outside of traditional clinical venues, and paramedic practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to provide such care.
![About EMS Chiefs of Canada](https://www.paramedicchiefs.ca/images/photo6-481x225.jpg)
The PCC has had eight presidents:
- Chief Steve Rapanos (former Chief of Edmonton EMS) EMSCC President from 2002 to 2004
- Chief Tom Sampson (former Chief of Calgary EMS) EMSCC President from 2004 to 2006
- Chief Bruce Farr (former Chief of Toronto EMS) EMSCC President from 2006 to 2010
- Chief Michael Nolan (Chief County of Renfrew Paramedic Service) EMSCC President from 2010 to 2012
- Darren Sandbeck (Chief Paramedic, Alberta Health Services) PCC President from 2012-2014
- Paul Charbonneau (Chief, Frontenac County EMS) PCC President 2014-2015
- Randy Mellow (Chief, Peterborough County EMS) PCC President 2015 – 2020
- Dale Weiss (Executive Director of EMS for Alberta Health Services) PCC President 2021 – 2022
- Randy Mellow (Chief, Peterborough County EMS) PCC President 2022 – 2023
- Kevin Smith (Chief Systems and Strategy Officer: BC Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority) 2023 – Present
The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada (PCC), led by its Board of Directors, empowers members and leaders to make changes nationally in the Paramedic profession. The PCC provides a platform for sharing of information and encourages changes to policy where possible.
Our membership is comprised of Paramedic leaders across Canada, with over 325 Paramedic Chiefs, managers, and Paramedics coast to coast. The mission of the PCC is to advance and align Paramedic leadership across Canada. We are the national voice advocating for Paramedic Services in Canada.
![About EMS Chiefs of Canada](https://www.paramedicchiefs.ca/images/photo8-481x225.jpg)