Halton’s Paramedics are highly skilled medical professionals with an unmatched dedication to serving the community and saving lives. You might know that they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that they treat patients on the scene and continue treatment on the way to the hospital—but did you know it’s common for a paramedic to experience abuse or violence at work?
Almost every day, a Halton Paramedic will report intimidation, assault, harassment and verbal abuse they’ve experienced on the job. These incidents affect our paramedics’ safety, mental health, and their lives at home. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work.
Watch our message from Greg Sage, Chief of Halton Region Paramedic Services, and Stephen Tanner, Chief of Halton Region Police Services:
Protecting Paramedics: Everyone Deserves to Feel Safe at Work (YouTube video link)
How we’re working to protect Halton Paramedics
We have a zero-tolerance policy for violence directed at paramedics. When violence or abuse occurs, Halton paramedics can:
- Exit the scene and request assistance from Halton Regional Police Service and/or a Paramedic Superintendent, and potentially pursue criminal charges.
- Report the incident through the External Violence Against Paramedics program.
- Contact our Peer Support Team, a group of peers who provide support during stressful calls or situations.
- Access mental health supports through our Employee Family Assistance Program, and from a clinical psychologist.
Additionally, all paramedics will participate in training this year for conflict avoidance strategies, including recognizing when and how to de-escalate a situation, and the use of force defense tactics that are safe for everyone involved.
Advocating for change
Halton Regional Council passed a memo in July 2025 to call on the Government of Canada to reintroduce and adopt legislation amending the Criminal Code to explicitly include paramedics and first responders. They also called on the Government of Canada to increase penalties and maximum terms of imprisonment for aggravated assault against paramedics, firefighters, and other first responders to align with those for peace officers.
Please join us in reinforcing that violence and abuse are not part of the job. To do your part to keep Halton paramedics safe, please share our message.