The provincial budget calls for changes by integrating emergency health services into Ontarios health care system
The province is looking to make changes to our ambulance service, possibly moving 52 services into 10, through restructuring.
That has drawn attention from municipalities and health services across Ontario.
The Ontario budget said there would be changes "by integrating emergency health services into Ontario's health care system" and the EMS changes are part of that.
County Warden Gary McNamara says it's too soon to tell what's going to happen.
"We haven't even got a clue in terms of how this can be accomplished and what the exact thinking of the provincial government is on this particular issue," he says.
No matter what happens, McNamara says it will be business as usual for Essex-Windsor EMS until the province says otherwise.
"The one thing for sure that I really want to relay to our citizens of Windsor-Essex, is that we're still going to continue to provide a first-rate ambulatory service."
It's not the first time Essex-Windsor Emergency Services Chief Bruce Krauter has had to operate under a cloud of uncertainty.
"If people recall, back in the late 1990's, then Premier Mike Harris proposed the download of the provincial services to the municipalities and at that time it was the same thing, we didn't have a lot of concrete answers," he says.
Krauter doesn't want to speculate until the county gets more information.
"I think there is surprise, but now after a few days it's, okay, now lets understand what the facts are and make decisions on those facts."
No matter what happens, Krauter says his focus will remain on getting the job done.
"I can say that we're continuing day to day to provide the service that the community has come to expect from Essex-Windsor EMS and it's business as usual moving forward," added Krauter.
The move is in line with the Ontario PC's plan to reduce the number of public health units from 35 to 10 in a measure expected to save $200-million a year.
A separate move to save $350-million will replace six provincial health agencies and 14 local health integration networks with a single super agency.
— with files from AM800's Patty Handysides