Designated officers

All emergency service agencies, such as ambulance, fire, and police, are required to have a designated officer as per the Infectious Disease Protocol (PDF) , published in the Ontario Public Health Standards.

Niagara Region Public Health must keep an updated list of designated officers from local emergency service agencies. It is important to contact us if your emergency service agency has any changes to this information.

What a designated officer does

A designated officer:

  • Receives and assesses reports when an emergency service worker may have been exposed to an infectious disease of public health importance
  • Is the main contact between their agency and the local public health unit

Roles and responsibilities

  • Comply with the policies and procedures of their agency
  • Understand the risks of exposure to infectious diseases
  • Prevent or minimize risk of exposure to infectious diseases using routine practices, appropriate procedures and / or personal protective equipment
  • Immediately report possible exposures to their designated officer
  • Follow-up with medical care at local hospital / urgent care centre for testing and recommendations for post-exposure prophylaxis

  • Receive reports from emergency service workers about a possible exposure
  • Assess the situation and determine if an exposure to an emergency service worker occurred
  • Document exposures on the appropriate agency form(s)
  • If the emergency service worker had significant / high-risk exposure, contact Public Health
  • If required, provide Mandatory Blood Testing Act forms for the emergency service worker and health care provider to complete

  • Receive and review information on possible exposure(s) provided by the designated officer
  • Help the designated officer determine if an exposure occurred
  • Provide education and counselling to the designated officer and / or emergency service worker, including testing, post-exposure prophylaxis and Mandatory Blood Testing Act forms, if applicable
  • If routine case management identifies an emergency service worker has been named as a contact of a reportable disease, the designated officer is informed. A public health nurse will follow-up with the emergency service worker to discuss risk of exposure and recommended prophylaxis, if applicable.
  • Process Mandatory Blood Testing Act applications

Mandatory Blood Testing Act

Under the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, an emergency service worker or other eligible person who came into contact with someone else's bodily fluids can apply to have that person's blood tested. The person applying is called the applicant, and the person whose blood would be tested is called the respondent.

The Act only covers:

  • HIV / AIDS
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C

Learn more about the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, including how to file an application and access the forms.

Important: Post exposure prophylaxis treatment should not be delayed due to the processing of an application. Anyone who believes that they may have been exposed to a communicable disease after coming into contact with blood or bodily fluids should immediately contact a health care provider to assess the risk of infection.