Urgences-Santé asks the public to call 811 for minor medical issues while leaving 911 open for cases where “a life is in danger.”
The freezing rain that coated much of Montreal and Laval early Thursday triggered a wave of calls to ambulance services in the region, with Urgences-santé reporting a spike in the number of calls for assistance in both cities.
The increase in call traffic led the emergency service to advise the public to call 811 for minor medical issues while leaving 911 open for cases where “a life is in danger.”
If someone falls and is unable to get up, Urgences-santé says, a call to the emergency centre may be necessary.
Environment Canada forecast on Wednesday that five to 10 millimetres of freezing rain were expected to fall on the region. Even though the freezing rain stopped by Thursday morning, some roads and many sidewalks in both cities remained treacherous later in the day.