On March 21, 2025, OPSEU/SEFPO ACOs from across the province held their first ACO Occupational Division biennial meeting. They elected their inaugural Executive, adopted Bylaws, and collaborated together on issues of concern in their workplaces.
ACOs are the highly-trained professionals who take 911 calls from people in distress for medical emergencies, and dispatch and direct paramedics to callers’ locations. They use complex equipment including radios, electronic maps with GPS locating, and phone systems to communicate with callers and with paramedics on the road. OPSEU/SEFPO ACOs work in 11 Central Ambulance Communications Centres (CACCs) run by the Ontario Public Service (OPS), and 4 Broader Public Service (BPS) CACCs run by municipalities and agencies.
One of the BPS Centres is ORNGE, which takes calls from hospitals and CACCs for interfacility transfers, as well as calls from CACCs for high acuity, on scene calls that require helicopter response.
The new OPSEU/SEFPO ACO Occupational Division was founded by an ACO Working Group made up of ACOs and leaders from OPS Unified and Sector 1 Ambulance Division. Delegates from each worksite were invited to the first biennial meeting in March to represent their members and kick off the work of the new division.
That work included considering Constitutional Amendments and Resolutions for next year’s Convention (2026), updates from each worksite present, and a WSIB/Health and Safety presentation.
ACO Occupational Division Executive 2025-2027
The following OPSEU/SEFPO ACOs were elected to the first ACO Occupational Division Executive:
- Chair: Amanda Usher, Local 302
- Vice-Chair: Keri Irving, Local 462
- Treasurer: Melissa Penner, Local 173
- Secretary: Stacey Eichler, Local 505
- Communications Rep: Holly Sullivan, Local 154
- Health & Safety Officer: Mary Doran, Local 462
- MERC Liaison & Officer at Large: Grace Grieve, Local 302
Pics from the first ACO Occupational Division Biennial Meeting
