A coroner's jury looking into why a man died while waiting for an ambulance during a city worker's strike in 2009 has come back with 29 recommendations to prevent a similar situation in the future.
The jury was looking into an incident in June 2009, just three days into the Canadian Union of Public Employees outside worker's strike, when Jim Hearst, 59 suffered a heart attack in the foyer of his downtown apartment building.
An ambulance was called, but the crew was "staging" around the corner from the apartment building, something they do when they think the scene may be unsafe.
At the time, paramedics were working at 75 per cent staff due to the labour action.
It took paramedics 38 minutes to get to the call, during which time Hearst died.
Most of the recommendations released Tuesday had to do with better communication and better supervision when paramedics are staging. Many of those changes have already been put in place.
Though the inquest is finished, Hearst's partner, Alejandro Martinez, said he is left with questions.
"The only explanation that was given at the inquest was that paramedics thought it was unsafe for them because of an unknown medical reason and because the police was called," Martinez said Martinez said. "I don't think that's reason enough for paramedics to withhold services."
Toronto EMS chief Paul Raftis said the results of the inquiry did not show one way or another whether the strike and the reduced staffing did, indeed, lead to Hearst's death.
"In terms of looking at the evidence, or whether or not that (strike) impacted this particular incident, it's unclear," Raftis said.
Since the 2009 strike, the city and the union have come to a new deal that will see paramedics remain at full staffing levels in the event of another strike.
With files from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney
