The United Counties of Prescott and Russell are moving ahead with a plan that will stop paramedics from answering non-emergency calls in neighbouring communities, including Ottawa. The township has been working with the Ontario government for three years on the problem of ambulance availability, said Michel Chrétien, director of emergency services with Prescott and Russell. The problem, Chrétien said, is that other communities, especially Ottawa, are using their ambulances for non-priority calls, sometimes leaving Prescott and Russell with none. It is not our responsibility, at the end of the day, to provide service to another community.​ - Michel Chrétien, Prescott and Russell"The situation has gotten worse," he said. Chrétien's counterpart in Ottawa said what Prescott and Russell is doing is illegal and its dispute is with the province, not the city.

Source: CBC News May 23, 2019 11:42 UTC