The Quebec Prehospital System
The Quebec Ambulance services as we know it today started in the 1980s, when funeral homes was giving the ambulances services as a sideline of their main business. Slowly, the ambulance services started to separate themselves from this reality, becoming either private companies, cooperatives, non-lucrative organism or a corporation that we know today as Urgences-Santé. Since then, the number of companies has been divided by 3, to now count around 45 different entities managing the EMS fleets and about 5 other services working on either indigenous reserve or within smaller communities.
Here shown the well-known Quebec ambulance color, this one from Urgences-Santé, Montreal.
50 services, one visual identity.
This patch is the current one being worn by paramedics here in Quebec. This patch, in rubber, is worn on outside jacket mostly.
This patch is the current one being worn by paramedics here in Quebec. This version is worn on shirts and polo, depending of the size of it and the manufacturer.
This patch is the current one being worn by paramedics here in Quebec. This patch, in rubber, is worn on outside jacket mostly.
Since the restructuration of the Ambulance Services here in Quebec, the government has opted for all the company to wear the same shoulder patches and epaulettes. From being a embroidered red patch to a rubber patch the same color, the current patch from Quebec is now black with now the ''Paramedic '' word on it. The rubber version is for the outwear soft shell, and the normal patch is for any other piece of clothings and coming in 2 different versions, one smaller than the other. Only the epaulettes can differ from one EMS service to another, including those that do not have any.
Each extinct company will be place with the company that now owns their station and zone of service.
Urgences-Santé
Located in the Montreal and the Laval Island, Urgences-Santé is the only public ambulance service in the province of Quebec. Created in 1989, the organization has 3 stations : 2 in Montreal (Known as Western CO and Eastern CO) and one in Laval (Known as Northern CO). Urgences-Santé has in charge the 911 for their region as well, answering more than 1000 calls per day everyday. They have specialized units as well (Airport Paramedic, Tactical Medic, Community Response, Bariatric, Advanced Care Paramedic) to partner up with the ambulance service in their communities. With near 200 shifts scheduled everyday, Urgences-Santé is the biggest EMS services in the province.
Urgences-Santé, in their start, was working with the multiples services in the city of Montreal with one dispatch center to assure the adequate dispatching system trough their territory.
Coopérative des Techniciens-Ambulanciers du Québec
The Coopérative des Techniciens Ambulanciers du Québec (called CTAQ) is the Ambulance company operating in 4 regions : Quebec Metropolitan, Portneuf, Charlevoix and Saguenay. Operating more than 50 vehicles daily in 7 stations, the CTAQ is one of the biggest cooperative in the industry. They used to wear their own patch (shown left) and now wear the provincial identity. They have their own epaulettes with their armoury on it. The CTAQ do not have any ALS for now excepting in Saguenay, but has a nurse-paramedic operating during the day for any non-emergency calls to help the triage of the patient.
The CTAQ is one if the biggest services in Quebec working in developping the emergency care province-wide.
Dessercom
Dessercom (acronym for community services) is a non-lucrative ambulance service in the whole province, with 3 operationnal zones divided as Dessercom East, West and Abitibi. They also have non-urgent transport, one of the biggest in the province. Dessercom has bought during the time ambulance BGR, Ambulance GMR, ambulance Abitémis and many other smaller companies to be now one of the biggest service province-wide. The biggest city they cover is Lévis, the city just south of the Fleuve Saint-Laurent and from Quebec City.
Coopérative des Techniciens-Ambulanciers de la Montérégie
The Coopérative des Techniciens-Ambulaciers de la Montérégie (CETAM ) is the cooperative giving the ambulance service within a vast part of the Montérégie region. They are knowned now to be the second EMS service here in Quebec to have the ACP service in their territory. Serving the population with their 6 stations and with their 40 trucks on the road daily, they cover some of the big cities of the province, as Longueuil.
Coopérative des Paramédics de l'Outaouais
The Coopérative des Paramédics de l'Outaouais is the only company in the whole Outaouais region that includes the city of Gatineau. The company has 12 stations in operation in 12 different cities, the biggest being Gatineau. Operating a fleet of about 40 vehicles and doing more than 30 000 transport each year in the region, the CPO is the 3rd biggest cooperative in the province.
Groupe CAMBI
The Corporation des Ambulances de Beauce Inc. (called CAMBI province-wide) is a private ambulance service operating in 5 region in the province. The majority of their stations are located in Chaudière-Appalaches, but they have 5 stations in Bas-Saint-Laurent, 1 in Montérégie, 1 in Lanaudière and 2 in Laurentides. Their paramedics of Rimouski are one of the only services that is accredited for nautical rescue with the fire services.
Coopérative des Ambulanciers de la Mauricie
The Coopérative des Ambulanciers de la Mauricie (CAM), or anciently known as Ambulance 12-12, is an ambulance service operating in the city of Trois-Rivières and around. The CAM is operating in 4 stations and having a fleet of about 20 vehicles and their bureau is located in Trois-Rivières.
Ambulances 22-22 / Ambulances 22-22 Division SAMU
Ambulances 22-22 is an ambulance service located in Shawinigan, in the Centre-du-Québec. Mostly operating in the Grand-Mère secteur, Ambulance 22-22 has bought Ambulance SAMU, that is located in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts and Saint-Paulin, now giving them 3 stations and about 8 vehicles in their fleet.
Ambulances 33-33 / BTAQ / Ambulances La Tuque
Ambulances 33-33 is a private ambulance company located in Saint-Tite, in the Centre-du-Québec region. They have about 3 ambulances total all located in one station. Their region is known for the western festival of rodeo that is coming each year in Saint-Tite.
The Banque des Techniciens-Ambulanciers du Québec (BTAQ) is a private company joint within Ambulances 33-33 that is now mandate to manage the ambulance service in the city of La Tuque and the smaller villages attached to it. The BTAQ is also using a bank of candidates to help companies that has issues with staffing to get people to go work in the remote region where workers are hard to find and keep. Once a municipal service, it is now private as the rest of the province.
Ministère des Transports - Ambulance Routière
Ambulance Routiere is when the government has given ambulance to the ministry of transportation (the MTQ in french). This one was from the Beauharnois region, but some other regions was having ambulance managed by the Ministère du Transport to help give the ambulance service everywhere on the highways.
Services Préhospitaliers Laurentides-Lanaudière
The Services Préhospitaliers Laurentides-Lanaudière is a private ambulance service located on the northern shore of Laval, in the Laurentides and the Lanaudière region. SPLL operates 1 station in Lanaudière located in Mascouche and operate 3 stations in the Laurentides in Mirabel, Saint-Eustache and Lachute. SPLL is a family-owned business since many years when funeral homes where managing the ambulance. This business is still owned by the Goyer family by one of the daughter of M. Goyer.
Ambulances Médilac
Ambulances Médilac, of before Ambulances Leclerc, is a private ambulance company located trough all of the Lac-Saint-Jean region. Médilac is located in 4 cities : Alma, Métabetchouan-Lac-à-la-Croix, Lac-Bouchette and Saint-Félicien. With about 10 vehicles, they are the second biggest company operating this region. They have one of the 2 CoreFlex shift in the province, composed of a 8h on-duty shift followed by a 8h shift on-call (the truck is close from 11pm to 7am) in Lac-Bouchette.
Ambulances Gilbert
Ambulances Gilbert is a private ambulance service operating one station in the city of Matane and the region. This company is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region.
HRH Services Préhospitaliers
HRH Services Préhospitaliers is a private company located in Lanaudière and in Montérégie. Their stations are located in Repentigny, Joliette and Sorel-Tracy. With more than 20 vehicles, HRH is the biggest company operating in Lanaudière.
Ambulances Chouinard
Ambulances Chouinard is a private company located in La Pocatière, in the Kamouraska region. Hosting 2 vehicles that are on-call, they are the biggest service in that region. They were previously owned by a M. Pelletier.
Côte-Saint-Luc EMS/SMU
Côte-Saint-Luc EMS is a volunteer-based first responder service created to give first aid before the ambulance service (Urgences-Santé) will arrive. They are staffed with First Responder, Paramedic Student and Paramedic as well. They are using an ambulance and may transport if no ambulances is available in a reasonable delay.
Paramédics des Premières Nations
The First Nations Paramedic is the ambulance service operating in the reserve of Kanesatake, in the Laurentides. They are staffed with one ambulance available everyday, and are equipped with an ambulance with the provincial color. This is one of the few indigenous ambulance service in the province.
Cree Ambulance EMS
Cree Health Board First Responders is the authority taking charge of the ambulance services in the northern indigenous reserve in Quebec, for example Waskagamish, Eastmain, Mistissini, and many others.
Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy
Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy is one of the private cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Quebec region.
Cégep de Chicoutimi
Cégep de Chicoutimi is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. The cegep has given the AEC (smaller course) in the 1990s to help manage the employee issue in the region.
Cégep Sainte-Foy
Cégep de Sainte-Foy is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Capitale-Nationale region.
Collège Ahuntsic
College Ahuntsic is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Montreal region.
Collège Ellis
College Ellis is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Montérégie region.
Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the region of the same name.
Cégep de Baie-Comeau
Cégep de Baie-Comeau is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Côte-Nord region. They were giving the smaller course in the 1990s to help manage the employee issues in the region and has started giving the actual course in 2020.
Cégep de l'Outaouais
Cegep de l'Outaouais is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Gatineau region.
Collège Shawinigan
College Shawinigan is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Mauricie region.
John Abbott College
John Abbott College is one of the cegep (college) that gives the Prehospital Emergency Care (SPU in french) in the province. It is located in the Montreal region.
Coopérative des Techniciens-Ambulanciers de l'Estrie (CTAE)
The CTAE is a company working in the Estrie region. Their main base is located in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Stanstead Ambulance Inc. was once a private company working in the municipality of the same name. They are now, since 2022, part of the CTAE.
Hatzoloh EMS (older version)
Hatzoloh EMS is the service used by the orthodox jews communities in Montreal and Boisbriand. They are volunteers that give a first responder service in those small communities.
