• How do I become a paramedic?
• What are the levels of certification that an Ontario paramedic can obtain?
• What colleges offer paramedic training?
• How do I apply for a provincial examination?
• If you graduated from an approved Ontario Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) AEMCA Theory Examination
• If you graduated from an approved Ontario Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the MOHLTC ACP Theory Examination
• If you graduated from an approved Aerophysiology training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the MOHLTC Aeromedical Theory Examination
• If you graduated from a PCP, ACP or Aerophysiology training program and have not successfully completed the applicable MOHLTC Theory Examination within 24 months of your date of graduation
• What do you mean by “deemed equivalent”?
• What is a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP)?
• What is an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP)?
• If you have graduated from an approved ACP training program prior to May 1, 2001 and require your MOHLTC Advanced Care Paramedic certificate
• What is a Critical Care Paramedic (CCP)?
• What are the steps in upgrading from a Primary Care Paramedic upgrade to an Advanced Care Paramedic?
• What is an EMA?
• If you hold an Emergency Medical Care Assistant (EMCA) certificate and wish to obtain an Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (AEMCA) certificate
• What is a P1, P2, and P3 paramedic?
• What is the difference between an EMCA and an AEMCA paramedic?
• Does the ministry have a Special Learning Needs policy for individuals identified as having a learning disability?

• Where can I obtain a copy of the Basic Life Support (BLS) Patient Care Standards manual?
• Where can I obtain a copy of the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Patient Care Standards manual?
• Are there other training references available?
• What acts legislated by the government must a paramedic abide by? Where can I find copies of these acts?

All Ontario paramedics must hold Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (AEMCA) certification.

Candidates, who either have successfully completed a Paramedic training program provided by an approved Ontario College or Training Institution or have successfully completed the Ontario Equivalency Process are eligible to write the provincial MOHLTC AEMCA Theory Examination and obtain AEMCA certification.

An AIT Equivalency candidate, who successfully completes the Ontario Equivalency Process will receive an AEMCA certificate without the requirement to write the MOHLTC AEMCA Theory Examination.

Note : You will need to first attain AEMCA certification prior to applying for other credentialing examinations (e.g. ACP, Aeromedical, or CCP).

There are three levels of paramedics in Ontario : Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) and Critical Care Paramedic (CCP).

A list of approved programs and coordinators can be found on the Paramedic Programs page.

You must complete an application and submit it with your fee. Examination Application Packages can be completed online or printed and completed manually. You must mail your completed form and fee to the address provided on the application.

If you graduated from an approved Ontario Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) AEMCA Theory Examination you will need to :

• Complete and submit the AEMCA Theory Examination Application along with,
• Provide proof of successful completion of an Ontario PCP training program at an approved College or Training Institution, and
• Submit a registration fee of $250.00 in the form of a certified cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance.

If you are a graduate of an approved Ontario Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the MOHLTC ACP Theory Examination you will need to :

• Hold the qualifications of a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) as defined in Ontario Reg. 257/00,
• Complete and submit the Advanced Care Paramedic Theory Examination Application along with,
• Provide proof of successful completion of an Ontario ACP training program at an approved College or Training Institution, and
• Submit a registration fee of $50.00 in the form of a certified cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance

If you are a graduate of an approved Aerophysiology training program within the last 24 months and wish to write the MOHLTC Aeromedical Theory Examination you will need to :

• Hold the qualifications of a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) as defined in Ontario Reg. 257/00,
• Complete and submit the Aeromedical Theory Examination Application along with,
• Provide proof of successful completion of an Aerophysiology training program at an approved College or Training Institution, and
• Submit a registration fee of $50.00 in the form of a certified cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance

If you graduated from a PCP, ACP or Aerophysiology training program and your eligibility has lapsed (post 24 months from graduation) you will need to :

• Contact an approved College or Training Institution to discuss your remedial requirements and then enrol in a remedial PCP, ACP or Aerophysiology program to renew your eligibility.
• Complete and submit the appropriate MOHLTC Theory Exam Application
• Provide proof of successful completion of an approved PCP, ACP or Aerophysiology remedial program and
• Submit the appropriate registration fee for the PCP, ACP or Aerophysiology exam you are taking in the form of certified cheque or money order made payable to the Minister of Finance

Individuals who were trained in paramedicine outside the province or country may have the skills required to work as a paramedic in Ontario. See the Paramedic Equivalency section for more information.

A PCP is an individual who meets the qualifications for employment set out in section 6(1) of Regulation 257/00 made under the Ambulance Act and who is authorized by the medical director of a base hospital program to perform the controlled acts referred to in Schedule 1 of Regulation 257/00. The controlled acts that may be performed are symptom relief drug administration and semi-automated external defibrillation (SAED).

An ACP is a qualified primary care paramedic who has successfully completed an advanced care paramedic training program approved by the Emergency Health Services Branch director and has passed an advanced care paramedic examination set or approved by the director. They must also be authorized by the medical director of a base hospital to perform the controlled acts referred to in Schedule 2 of Regulation 257/00 made under the Ambulance Act. This includes responsibilities beyond those performed by the primary care paramedic, such as manual defibrillation and endotracheal intubation.

If you have graduated from an approved ACP training program prior to May 1, 2001 and require your MOHLTC Advanced Care Paramedic certificate you must :

• Hold qualifications of a PCP as defined in Ontario Reg. 257/00,
• Complete and submit the Pre-May 01/2001 Advanced Care Paramedic Recognition Application along with,
• Provide proof of successful completion of an approved Ontario ACP training program prior to May 1, 2001, and
• Submit a $50.00 fee in the form of a certified cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance along with your Application

A CCP is a qualified advanced care paramedic who has successfully completed the critical care paramedic training program approved by the Emergency Health Services Branch Director and has passed a critical care paramedic examination set or approved by the Director. They must also be authorized by the medical director of a base hospital to perform the controlled acts referred to in Schedule 3 of Regulation 257/00, made under the Ambulance Act. These acts are beyond those performed by the primary and advanced care paramedics and currently include skills such as chest tube insertion and x-ray interpretation.

A number of Colleges and Training Institutions offer ACP training. Anyone interested in becoming an ACP should contact an approved Advanced Care Paramedic program.

Anyone interested in becoming an CCP should contact the approved Critical Care Paramedic program.

EMA is a common acronym for Emergency Medical Assistant. All paramedics, regardless of classification, can be broadly referred to as EMAs.

AEMCA stands for Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant, a credential for graduates of approved college primary care paramedic programs that include training in selected Advanced Life Support (ALS) skills. Advanced Life Support means the performance of a controlled act as defined by the Regulated Health Professions Act. Prior to 1997, the scope of practice for paramedics in Ontario did not include symptom relief medications and semi-automatic external defibrillation. Graduates of approved ambulance and emergency care programs who successfully completed Ministry of Health certification were issued an EMCA (Emergency Medical Care Assistant) certificate. Following the change in scope in 1997, the title of the credential was changed to AEMCA to recognize the inclusion of symptom relief and defibrillation in the approved training programs and the provincial certification exam.

If you hold an Emergency Medical Care Assistant (EMCA) certificate and wish to obtain an Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (AEMCA) certificate you will need to :

• Provide a letter to EHSB requesting an upgrade to your EMCA certificate to an AEMCA certificate along with,
• Proof of successful completion of an approved Symptom Relief (SR) and Semi-Automated External Defibrillation (S-AED) program OR current certification in these skills by an Ontario Base Hospital program, and
• A copy of your EMCA certificate

Note : If you have lost your EMCA certificate, please contact EHSB.

Yes. Applicants with special needs must indicate that on their application form. The Emergency Health Services Branch cannot accommodate late requests for special needs. If the request is granted, semi-private accommodations will be provided as well as up to 30 per cent additional writing time for each part of the exam.

Official confirmation of the candidate's special learning needs must be documented by their College or Training Institution’s Special Needs Office or documented in a current letter from a doctor specializing in learning disabilities. All documentation must accompany the application form in order for the applicant's request to be considered.

If additional information is required, contact the Paramedic Training Coordinator and specify the accessibility options you are inquiring about.

Basic Life Support Patient Care Standards manual, written by Emergency Health Services Branch, is available for download from the Reference Materials page.

The ALS Standards manual is available for download on the Reference Materials page.

See the Reference Materials page for a complete list of files available.

• Ambulance Act & Regulations
• Child & Family Service Act
• Coroner's Act
• Health Care Consent Act
• Highway Traffic Act
• Mental Health Act
• Occupational Health & Safety Act
• Regulated Health Professions Act

All of the above acts can be downloaded from the e-Laws website. Hard copies may also be available from Publications Ontario, 880 Bay Street, Toronto ON M7A 1N8 (416-326-5320).

Emergency Health Services Branch
5700 Yonge Street, 6th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
Canada     M2M 4K5

Tel : 1-800-461-6431 (Toll-free in Ontario only)
Fax : 416-327-7911
Email : ehs.websitecontact@sdsx.moh.gov.on.ca

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