Overview
The provincial road and air ambulance program provides emergency and routine medical transportation services throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and responds to more than 110,000 requests for service annually.
The primary mission of the road and air ambulance program is to respond to patients experiencing medical emergencies and transport them to the most appropriate level of care. Ambulances are also used to transport non-emergency patients who require ongoing medical attention during transport and cannot travel by alternate means.
The Department of Health and Community Services, through the EHPS division, is responsible for ambulance system oversight on behalf of the Minister of Health and Community Services.
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) is responsible for delivering road and air ambulance services provincially. NLHS has contracted Medavie Health Services NL (Medavie) to operate an integrated emergency health services system that includes both road and air ambulance programs.
- Road Ambulance Program Information
- Air Ambulance Program Information
- How to Access Emergency Service
- Ambulance Patient Fees
- Training Information – Becoming a Paramedic
- Newfoundland and Labrador Paramedicine Regulator – Obtaining a Paramedic License
- Office of the Provincial Medical Director – Obtaining Medical Authority
- Paramedicine Employment Opportunities
Road Ambulance Program
The road ambulance program is a critical component of the health care system and is often the first point of contact for people in an emergency. Our highly trained paramedicine providers deliver emergency medical services while transporting the patient to the most appropriate hospital for further treatment.
The road program utilizes approximately 900 paramedicine providers, and 190 ambulances distributed province-wide over 75 bases. While NLHS employs the providers and owns the ambulances, Medavie is responsible for managing the staff and delivery of service.
The centralized Provincial Medical Communications Center manages ambulance services throughout the province. Dispatchers and on-call medical transport physicians work around the clock, using modern technology to ensure ambulances are coordinated and respond effectively when needed.
In addition to emergency response Medavie is responsible for the delivery of other road ambulance related programs, including:
- Interfacility Transport – the movement of patients between hospitals for specialized care and diagnostics.
- Community Paramedicine – delivery of care in a patient’s home, including support for palliative care patients.
- Medical First Responder Program – Training of volunteer firefighters who can arrive on scene first to provide care while an ambulance is enroute. The MFR program is under development.
- Automated External Defibrillator Program – The tracking of AED placement to allow dispatchers to direct individuals to an AED in the case of a cardiac event. The AED Registry is under development.
Air Ambulance Program
Medavie and its subcontractor PAL Aerospace (PAL) are responsible for the design, operation and management of the Integrated Air Ambulance Program which includes:
- Air Medevac Services
- Coastal Labrador Air Services
- Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS)
The program transports approximately 3,000 patients per year.
AIR MEDIVAC SERVICES
An emergency air ambulance program has been in place in this province since the early 1950s. At that time single engine floatplanes were used to transport emergency patients to the appropriate medical facilities.
Today, specially equipped aircraft and highly trained healthcare professionals, including advanced care paramedics, critical care paramedics, and registered nurses, transport patients who need specialized care between medical facilities. They also provide transportation for patients who do not need emergency care when travelling by road ambulance or commercial airline is not suitable.
By December 2026, the air program will utilize four state-of-the-art King Air 350 air ambulances based in St. John’s and Goose Bay.
Most air ambulance trips take place within the province. However, patients may be transported outside Newfoundland and Labrador when they need specialized medical care that is not available here and cannot safely travel on a commercial flight.
COASTAL LABRADOR AIR SERVICES
As part of Medavie and PAL’s responsibilities, Coastal Labrador Air Services are delivered to remote communities on the North and South Coast of Labrador by Air Borealis utilizing a fleet of Twin Otter aircraft well-suited for landing on gravel airstrips.
Most coastal Labrador communities are isolated from the provincial road network and are accessible only by boat or air. Both regular air medevac and scheduled (Schedevac) flights are provided to enable residents access to essential medical services and appointments in larger regional healthcare facilities
HELICOPTER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (HEMS)
Custom Helicopters Limited operates a AW139 helicopter from its St. John’s base to transport time sensitive patients between health facilities, primarily in eastern Newfoundland.
Medavie has been tasked to develop a proposal, for government consideration, to expand HEMS service province wide.
In times of medical emergency, Canadian Military Search and Rescue Helicopters may be deployed to transport time sensitive patients when provincial resources are unable to respond.
How to Access Emergency Service
911 emergency telephone service is available province wide. There are two 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that answer 911 calls – located in Corner Brook and St. John’s. 911 call takers will ask for the type of emergency being reported, the town or area of the emergency, address and the caller’s phone number.
For medical emergencies, the caller is then transferred to the new NLHS Provincial Medical Communications Center where trained and certified dispatchers will dispatch the required assistance.
Depending on the type of emergency being reported, the 911 call takers may notify other emergency service agencies as needed.
Ambulance Patient Fees
NL RESIDENTS WITHIN THE PROVINCE
For Newfoundland and Labrador residents with a valid Medical Care Plan (MCP) card, most road ambulance costs are covered through the provincial health care system.
A patient fee of $115 applies for road ambulance services within the province. This fee is charged for the ambulance response and is not dependent on whether the patient is transported.
If a patient requests ambulance assistance and subsequently refuses transport, or if transportation is determined by medical personnel to be unnecessary, the $115 patient fee will still apply.
Some individuals receiving Income Support may be eligible to have this fee covered through the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills.
There is no charge for provincial air ambulance services for Newfoundland and Labrador residents with a valid MCP card.
NL RESIDENTS OUTSIDE THE PROVINCE
Newfoundland and Labrador residents who require ambulance services while outside the province are responsible for charges established by the jurisdiction where the service is provided.
These costs are not covered by MCP and are not reimbursed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Potential costs may include:
- Road ambulance transport: up to approximately $1,500
- Air ambulance transport: up to approximately $40,000 from remote locations
Residents are encouraged to obtain travel insurance before leaving the province to protect against these costs.
NON-NL RESIDENT AMBULANCE COSTS
Individuals who are non-residents of Newfoundland and Labrador will be charged:
- $600 per road ambulance trip
- Actual air ambulance costs, which may reach up to $5,000 per flight
Fees are subject to change and are assessed based on the services provided.
Training Information – Becoming a Paramedic
Paramedicine provider training is available in Newfoundland and Labrador from the following educational institutions. Please contact the training institution directly with any questions you may have about education to become a paramedicine provider.
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC (CNA)
CNA offers paramedicine training from two separate campuses, Bay St. George campus in Stephenville and Prince Phillip Drive Campus in St. John’s. CNA offers both Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) training and Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) training.
Website:
- College of the North Atlantic – Primary Care Paramedicine
- College of the North Atlantic – Advanced Care Paramedicine
Phone Number: 1-888-982-2268
KEYIN COLLEGE
Keyin College offers PCP training from the Grand Falls – Windsor campus.
Website:
Phone: 1-800-563-8989
Newfoundland and Labrador Paramedicine Regulation (NLPR) – Obtaining a Paramedic Provider Licence
All paramedics and emergency medical responders (EMRs) practicing in Newfoundland and Labrador are required to obtain a paramedicine provider licence from NLPR. For information on becoming a licensed paramedic or EMR in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit: Newfoundland and Labrador Paramedicine Regulation
Office of the Provincial Medical Director (OPMD) – Obtaining Medical Authority
All paramedicine providers employed within NLHS and working within the integrated road and air ambulance system are required to obtain medical authorization from the OPMD. The OPMD supports paramedicine providers with clinical practice guidelines, clinical policy, quality assurance and continued quality improvement initiatives, and real-time physician support. Medical authorization is only available while actively working within the capacity of the integrated road and air ambulance program. For more information on obtaining medical authority, including the application process, please visit: Office of the Provincial Medical Director
Paramedicine Employment Opportunities
We are always seeking talented and compassionate paramedicine providers to join us! NLHS is the employer for all paramedicine providers working within the road and air ambulance programs, as well as supporting programs such as community paramedicine and the Provincial Medical Communications Center. Available job opportunities can be found at Careers – NL Health Services
If you are interested in working as a paramedicine provider or emergency medical dispatcher in Newfoundland and Labrador, please contact NLHS recruitment. Various recruitment incentives also exist – be sure to inquire about them!