Medical Emergencies

Last updated March, 2025

How would you handle getting someone in need to medical assistance across the water to meet the EMT? 

Do you know:

• if you call 911, the dispatcher is not someone local who knows where lake Mazinaw is.  They need a 911 number; a physical address or they cannot send emergency personnel to help you.  During an emergency is not the time to wonder what to do.  Making a plan now could significantly improve your experience.

• the Fire Department need to get their boat at the Cloyne fire station, launch it before attending to a first across the water?  This one boat is used to service all surrounding lakes, as required. Within the Kaladar/Barrie Fire Department’s response area, there are over 1,548 square kilometers, and 40+ lakes with water access properties. Expect that transporting the boat and launching it does take time.

  • exception:  if the boat is safe, the fire department will go in a private boat until they get their own boat there. This is subject to change, as per the elected officials/township rules.

• ways to try to contain a fire until the fire department arrives, such as fire extinguishers, hoses, water pumps and where they are located?
  

Medical emergency

This information is in everyone’s directory.  We recommend you post a copy of this on your fridge, for yourself, or for renters or visitors. When faced with a medical situation you ultimately have 2 options: (i) can you get the person who needs help to the highway side? If yes, read #1 below. If no, read #2 below.

#1  Transporting someone requiring medical attention to meet the EMS on the hwy side of the lake

If residents are able to meet the emergency responders at a landing or dock, this will significantly reduce the response time and result in them receiving definitive care in hospital much earlier.

An emergency vehicle can access these sites. To dispatch EMS, Fire department or OPP a 911 number or a blue 'civic address' number is needed. Keep these handy and visit them in advance to know exactly where they are.

• Brown's Camp:  61 Addington Road 5, RR# 1 Cloyne

• Tapping's Landing public boat launch: 371 North Mazinaw Heights Road

• Smarts Marina: 1018 Smart Road, Cloyne   (*Note:  this is during business hours…Smarts Marina closes their gate at the close of business)
  

Alternatively, you could make arrangements with a nearby neighbour who is located on an accessible road. The accessible road should have a solid smooth surface with enough space to handle larger emergency response vehicles. Laneways should be at least 12 feet wide with trees and limbs trimmed up at least 12 feet high. There also needs to be enough area to turn vehicles around.  The property should not have steep frontage and should provide easy access to the lakeshore. The water access persons should know the 911 address of their neighbour (e.g. 12345 Hwy 41).

#2  EMS come to the emergency on the other side of the lake

Sometimes, it may be impossible to move someone requiring medical attention to the roadside.  The EMS service, when faced with a remote/wilderness response will employ a coordinated response often involving fire services, OPP, MNR, and DND Search & Rescue.  EMS will only go in the boat of the Fire department to access a patient on the lake access only side.

Please note:  It is the policy of the Fire Department that they do not respond across ice (frozen bodies of water).