St. John Ambulance FD - Ottawa

05/24/2026

Our CS Volunteers were literally ALL OVER OTTAWA this weekend! At Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend at first aid stations along the route, at the Finish Line and in Confederation Park and at the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour stop at Lansdowne Park! Well done Team!

05/22/2026

It's Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend ! SJA FD will be out all weekend providing first aid and medical response at all the races! Thursday, Friday and Saturday we'll also be at the Race Expo at Carleton University! When you're picking up your race gear, stop by our booth to talk with our staff and volunteers about our activities, buy a first aid kit or pick up some some SJA FD swag!

05/21/2026

This week SJA FD has been supporting the CAF Combat Medic course at Connaught Range with vehicle and materiel support and our volunteers acting in casualty simulation roles! A fantastic experience for our participants to continue our partnership with the Canadian military that has been in place for over one hundred years!

05/20/2026

Across Ontario, including here in Ottawa, first aid training is entering a new chapter focused on consistency, clarity, and national alignment. Beginning June 22, 2026, first aid training providers across the province will transition to programs designed to meet the CSA Z1210-24 Standard—a Canada-wide benchmark for first aid instruction.
The CSA (Canadian Standards Association Group) develops national standards for first aid training and certification. In Ontario, workplace first aid programs must continue to meet provincial regulations, while training providers will follow CSA standards to ensure consistency, quality, and best practices.
This shift moves Ontario away from a province-specific framework toward a unified national approach. For learners, first aid skills and certifications will be more transferable across Canada. For employers—especially those operating in multiple provinces—it simplifies administration and supports a consistent level of training nationwide.
Oversight remains provincial. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will continue approving training providers in Ontario to ensure quality and accountability.
Since January 2026, St. John Ambulance has been proactively delivering training designed to meet the CSA Z1210-24 standard. As the province moves toward full adoption, clients and course attendees can continue to expect:
1. Updated, standards-aligned course content
2. Hands-on, practical skills training
3. Flexible delivery options, including blended learning for Intermediate First Aid
4. Experienced, highly qualified instructors

The biggest change students will notice is the naming of regulated courses to comply with the standards. Certifications under the previous standards will continue to be valid until date of expiration.

* These CSA changes apply only to first aid training and do not affect regulations for first aid products such as first aid kits, AEDs, and supplies. Since 2021, St. John Ambulance has offered first aid kits designed to comply with the CSA Z1220-17 standard.

If you have questions, email us at info.ottawa@sja.ca

05/08/2026

Our earlier post focussed on partnerships at the national level. Here is news on the provincial front! Both SJA ON and SJA FD are part of Ontario Corps:

05/08/2026

A fitting announcement during Emergency preparedness this week and a relationship that SJA FD is proud to be part of:

To kick off Emergency Preparedness Week, St. John Ambulance is excited to announce the renewal of funding through Public Safety Canada to support the development and operation of our national Emergency Management Program.
This renewed federal investment builds on previous support for St. John Ambulance’s Emergency Management Program and Emergency Response Units (ERUs), helping expand response capacity through enhanced training, targeted recruitment, and strengthened operational readiness. The funding will grow a skilled volunteer workforce and ensure these highly trained teams are equipped to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies of increasing scale and complexity, providing first aid, evacuation assistance, psychosocial support, and other critical services to communities in crisis across Canada.
Read the full announcement: https://hubs.ly/Q04fjjK80
***
Pour lancer la Semaine de la sécurité civile de 2026, Ambulance Saint-Jean est ravie d’annoncer le renouvellement du financement accordé par Sécurité publique Canada, qui permettra de soutenir le développement et la mise en œuvre de son programme national de gestion des urgences.
Ce nouvel investissement fédéral s’inscrit dans la continuité du soutien accordé au programme de gestion des urgences et aux équipes d’intervention d’urgence d’Ambulance Saint-Jean, en permettant d’accroître la capacité d’intervention grâce à l’amélioration de la formation, à un recrutement ciblé et au renforcement de la préparation opérationnelle. Ce financement contribuera à développer une main-d’œuvre bénévole qualifiée et à s’assurer que ces équipes hautement spécialisées disposent des ressources nécessaires pour intervenir rapidement et efficacement lors d’urgences de plus en plus importantes et complexes, en fournissant les premiers soins, un soutien à l’évacuation, un soutien psychosocial et d’autres services essentiels aux communautés en crise partout au Canada.
Lire l'annonce complète : https://hubs.ly/Q04fjkxz0

04/30/2026

Today is National Therapy Animal Day! Did you know that SJA was the first agency in Canada to introduce therapy dog programs back in 1992? Here in Ottawa we have approximately 50 therapy dog teams that provide emotional and psycho-social support to thousands of people each year! We truly value the contributions these dogs (and their humans) make to SJA FD and the community at large!

04/29/2026

Wrapping up National Volunteer Week we celebrated our instructors, Community Services and Therapy Dog volunteers at our annual awards held at Beechwood. Thanks to all who attended and congratulations to the recipients! (Not all featured in photos)

04/27/2026

Our fantastic volunteers traded first aid kits for sandbagging gear for a second weekend supporting flood response efforts after a call-out from the City of Ottawa!

04/23/2026

It's National Volunteer Week! Between our Community Service, Therapy Dog and Emergency Response Unit teams we have over 170 volunteers in Ottawa! We appreciate every one of them!

04/20/2026

Thank you Mayor Sutcliffe for recognizing our volunteers' efforts!

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