The city has asked the provincial health ministry to investigate Toronto EMS's response to a fatal downtown heart attack case last month, one where bystanders were left wondering where the paramedics were.
"The Ministry of Health has confirmed receipt of the request and will immediately begin the investigation," the city of Toronto said Thursday in a news release.
"As the call is now under ministry investigation, no further comment from the City of Toronto on this matter will be provided."
Brian Patterson of the Ontario Safety League has suggested this case be investigated by the coroner's office.
On June 25, James Robert Hearst was found in the lobby of his apartment building. Bystanders quickly called Toronto EMS at 11:08 p.m., according to audio records from security company Intelligarde.
However, paramedics didn't arrive until 11:45 p.m.
Toronto EMS Chief Bruce Farr said Tuesday the initial call indicated that Hearst had merely struck his head.
But subsequent calls from the Intelligarde official indicated that Hearst was turning blue, had stopped breathing -- and finally, had no pulse.
Farr said the paramedics arrived within the mandated nine minutes, but then sat outside because of health and safety concerns.
Neighbours said there was nothing going on that could have posed a threat to the paramedics.
Paramedics are technically on strike with an estimated 24,000 other city workers, but staffing has to be maintained at a 75-per-cent level. They are represented by CUPE Local 416, the outside workers. The dispatchers are represented by Local 79, the inside workers.
Farr has maintained this incident is unrelated to the strike.
