Paramedic response times improving in Simcoe County

Paramedic response times improving Paramedic response times in Simcoe County are improving. CTV Barrie's Beatrice Vaisman explains how.

Response times for County of Simcoe Paramedics have been improving.

From 2015 to 2016, the average response time across Simcoe County dropped by 30 seconds to seven minutes and 45 seconds.

In Barrie, it dropped by 16 seconds to six minutes and 17 seconds. In Innisfil, it dropped by about a minute and a half to nine minutes and 42 seconds.

"We’re quite happy with the times that we're seeing. We’re noticing that it was a very possible investment from our council," says deputy chief JC Gilbert.

Officials say part of the credit goes to the new rapid response units set up in rural areas to get to scenes more quickly.

Another piece of the puzzle is building new paramedic stations in strategic locations to save even more time.

The numbers for 2017 are due out in just a few weeks.