Vehicles

OPT owns and operates a fleet of Ministry-approved ambulance vehicles, equipped with all the necessary medical, communications and navigational tools and equipment to perform our patient-transfer services to OPT's own, self-regulated standard. Our vehicles meet or exceed all Ministry of Transportation guidelines. Our vehicle standards are unsurpassed in the patient transfer industry.

Other service providers in Ontario elect to use converted delivery-van-type vehicles, which allow these businesses to cut their internal costs and increase their own profits. While OPT could, in theory, provide the same level of service in order to reduce vehicle and fuel costs, it is our strict policy to provide a high standard of non-emergency patient transfer, by operating only medical-grade vehicles, furnished with quality equipment, clean linens and operated by professional, compassionate staff.

In addition to clean, fully-equipped mobile transfer vehicles, OPT also does everything possible to ensure that at least one certified paramedic goes out on every route, meaning there is always a medical standard of care available to patients while in transit. Regardless, there are ALWAYS two certified medical attendants assigned to every transfer, one of whom always remains with the patient.

Our fleet of vehicles is maintained at our own facility by licensed mechanics, and at independent, licensed external facilities. In addition to our regularly scheduled Preventive Maintenance Inspection program, we have annual Clean Air Ontario checks and we voluntarily submit every vehicle to annual and semi-annual Ministry of Transport Commercial Vehicle Inspections. All maintenance records are computerized, and a history for each vehicle is maintained for a five-year period.

Most importantly, all our Patient Transfer Vehicles are checked against the Ministry of Health EMS-ABC checks required for ambulances.

While comparing transfer services — including the transfer vehicles themselves — it is important to note the difference in quality standards from one provider to the next, as any perceived cost savings need to be weighed against the actual value of the service being provided.