• How do I become a paramedic?
• What do you mean by deemed equivalent?
• What colleges offer paramedic training?
• What are the levels of certification that an Ontario paramedic can obtain?
• What is meant by a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP)?
• What is meant by an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP)?
• What is meant by a Critical Care Paramedic (CCP)?
• What is an EMA?
• What is the difference between an EMCA and an AEMCA paramedic?
• What is a P1, P2, and P3 paramedic?
• Does the ministry have a Special Learning Needs policy for individuals identified as having a learning disability?

• Once I've graduated from an approved paramedic program, where do I apply for a job as a paramedic?
• I have worked as a certified Ontario paramedic in the past, but have been away from this practice for some time. I would like to resume work as a paramedic; what do I have to do?
• I am a Primary Care Paramedic and would like to upgrade to an Advanced Care Paramedic. What are the necessary steps to do this?
• I am an Advanced Care Paramedic and would like to upgrade to a Critical Care Paramedic. What are the necessary steps to do this?

• 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?

An Ontario paramedic, of any level, must hold Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (AEMCA) qualifications or training and qualifications deemed equivalent.

AEMCA qualifications are acquired by first completing a paramedic program from one of the approved colleges listed on the Paramedic Programs page. Following that, you must pass a provincial examination set by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to receive certification as an Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

These are older designations for paramedic levels (e.g. P1 = level-1 paramedic = Primary Care Paramedic). Ontario no longer uses these designations, as the PCP, ACP and CCP designations more clearly indicate the paramedic's training and skills.

Yes. Applicants with special needs while writing tests must indicate that on their application form. 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 need must be documented by their college's Special Needs Office or documented in a recent letter (within the last twenty-four months) from a doctor specializing in learning disabilities. All documentation must accompany the application form for the applicant's request to be granted.

Students with special needs will be accommodated in Toronto only. If additional information is required, contact the Paramedic Training Coordinator and specify the accessibility options you are inquiring about.

Each of Ontario's 50 upper-tier municipalities and designated delivery agents is responsible for either directly providing land ambulance services, or for providing service through contracted land ambulance service providers. All applications for employment should be made directly to the services you are interested in.

The complete contact list of municipal land ambulance service providers can be found in the Directory of Ambulance Services found on the Training and Education References page.

Depending on the amount of time away from practicing as a paramedic, you may be required to complete upgrading programs to ensure current paramedic practice knowledge. Contact the Paramedic Training Coordinator at the Emergency Health Services Branch to discuss your needs.

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

A number of colleges and institutions offer CCP training. Anyone interested in becoming an ACP should contact an approved Critical Care Paramedic program .

Basic Life Support Patient Care Standards manual, written by Emergency Health Services Branch, is available for download from the Training and Education References page.

The ALS Standards manual is available for download on the Training and Education References page.

See the Training and Education References 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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