For 25 years, the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs (OAPC) Symposium has brought together leaders, paramedics, and industry partners to strengthen emergency medical services across the province. This year’s anniversary edition was a milestone, not only a celebration of OAPC’s impact, but also a moment to reflect on how far Ontario EMS has come and where it is heading.
A renewed commitment to Ontario EMS
During the Symposium, Steve Hoffrogge, President of DBCM Canada, addressed the OAPC Logistics Committee with a message that resonates strongly with Demers’ mission: standing alongside paramedics as a trusted partner. His remarks underlined the concrete steps being taken across the company to support Ontario EMS.
Key priorities include:
- Reducing lead times on new ambulances and remounts
- Expanding local capabilities in Ontario to accelerate remounts, broaden service offerings, and provide advanced upfitting solutions
- Investing in long-term operational reliability, ensuring paramedic services can count on sustainable fleet performance
For Demers, these initiatives reflect more than operational improvements; they are a promise of proximity, responsiveness, and long-term partnership with Ontario’s EMS leaders.
Steve Hoffrogge also announced the creation of a Specialty Vehicle division, positioned within Crestline Bus, which will address broader government and EMS needs such as multi-patient vehicles and mobile command units. By placing this activity outside of ambulance production, Demers remains fully focused on its core mission: designing and building ambulances that serve as the third partner for paramedics in every intervention.
This announcement illustrates DBCM’s strength and ability to deliver meaningful value where it matters most.
A spotlight on ambulance remounts: Peel Paramedics’ MX 164
In London, Demers was proud to showcase for the first time an ambulance remount, allowing Ontario EMS to appreciate the quality and excellence of the process. This MX 164 remount featured a 2017 module, totally reconditioned on a brand-new chassis. Remounting an ambulance doubles its lifecycle while keeping a seamless experience for paramedics on the field. OAPC attendees confirmed: it is hard to tell the difference between this remounted ambulance and a brand-new one. In fact, more and more Canadian EMS are leveraging remounts as part of their fleet procurement strategy, allowing for savings of between $70,000 and $ 90,000 per unit. Once stacked, those savings enable a new unit purchase to be totally auto-financed. When sustainability meets cost-effectiveness, it’s a winning move.
A symposium of reflection and vision
Marking its 25th year, a specific OAPC committee collaborated with Medavie and partners to create a comprehensive retrospective on the evolution of Ontario EMS, featuring artifacts of vehicles and medical equipment. The expo highlighted the progress made in service delivery, technology integration, and paramedic practice, a testament to the commitment of Ontario’s EMS community.
The conference also looked ahead, with much of the programming focused on artificial intelligence in EMS. Presenters explored how AI could transform operations and patient care, while also raising important questions about adoption, ethics, and readiness. These are timely conversations, and ones Demers follows closely as part of its mission to stand beside paramedics with innovations that are both practical and forward-looking.
Thank you to our partners and customers
Beyond the sessions and displays, what makes the OAPC Symposium truly valuable are the conversations with our EMS partners and customers. We are grateful for the interest shown in our vehicles, the meaningful discussions around fleet challenges, and above all, the candid feedback you shared with us.
Your insights guide our engineering, service offerings, and our commitment to being the third partner in every emergency response. Thank you for engaging with us, challenging us, and helping us continue to improve, together.
