Ambulance offload times at local hospitals better than they’ve ever been, said paramedic services chief John Riches.
March 19, 2026
By Bill Jackson, Waterloo Region Record Reporter
Emergency ambulance availability in Waterloo Region has improved dramatically, with one “Code Zero” event recorded during the last nine months of 2025.
This single instance brought the year-to-date total to five, representing approximately one hour of service gaps over the entire year.
It’s a big improvement compared to 2023, when there were 132 such instances totalling 69 hours, and last year when 42 Code Zeros were recorded, totalling about 17 hours.
Simultaneously, ambulance off-load times at local hospitals continued to decline and are better than they’ve ever been, said paramedic services chief John Riches, in a recent update to the region’s community and health services committee.
Read more at the Waterloo Region Record
