About CZER

Code Zero Emergency Response (CZER) was formed by Jesse Beckow as Interzone First Response Services in 1994, providing first responders to embed with security teams and became the premier event medical company for the Ontario rave scene. Over time we added training services to our product offerings.

In 2017 we became International Disaster Response to reflect our new focus on Search and Rescue and disaster response. Our services include professional rescuer and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training and consulting, as well as K-9 and ground Search and Rescue services.

Our team of Subject Matter Experts have trained more than 30,000 responders and have deployed on 4 continents. Their areas of expertise include Basic and Advanced Life Support, K-9 training and handling, SAR, Primary Care Paramedicine, Advanced and Critical Care Paramedicine, Air EMS, Public Order EMS, CBRN and Tactical EMS.

Since COVID, our focus and services have evolved. While we still train professional rescuers, we have changed our focus to our local community in Ontario rather than focusing on international deployments.

As a result IDR is now Code Zero Emergency Response (CZER). We are proud to announce we now provide First Response and private sector emergency medical response services in Canada for events and ongoing emergency coverage. CZER uses A-EMCAs, the provincial certification for Primary Care Paramedics, for your first aid and first response needs.

What is a "Code Zero?"

Since 2020 municipal EMS response in Ontario has been more and more strained. The term Code Zero is a relatively new one that refers to a time when there are no ambulances, or at most 1 ambulance, available in an entire city. For an example, the City of Hamilton has more than 2 Code Zeros per day – over 700 per year.

When there is a Code Zero, no municipal EMS is coming to help you no matter how sick or injured you are. There are simply no ambulances available.

Code Zero Emergency Services was founded to give you access to private sector first response.

When nobody else is coming, Code Zero Emergency Response is on the way.

BS"D

1. Because no-one is expendable.

This is our slogan for a reason.

Our present health care system is struggling. It is often the case that response services we are accustomed to, like Police, Fire and EMS do not respond as quickly as they once did, and sometimes do not respond at all.

The best these services can do is use the resources available to them to save as many lives as possible. But when an algorithm decides who gets care and who does not, you end up writing off many people as expendable.

Code Zero does not see you as expendable.

If you have employed us, we are there for you, your team, your clients at events, for your community and for your company.

We do not see you or you as a number, and do not treat you like one. We are people helping people.

2. Professional, Experienced, Real-World

Management and Faculty include Primary, Advanced and Critical Care Paramedics, Subject Matter Experts on EMS (ground, marine and air), SAR (ground, marine and air), K-9 training and handling, emergency care education, and many other aspects of emergency response including management and command consulting.

We bring decades of experience to the table, to ensure our responders are real-world prepared, and to ensure you get a gold-standard, professional service every shift.

We bring equipment that is gold standard for first response to every shift.

Similarly, our responders and instructors bring a realistic understanding of the emergencies they will be facing, from the three most common – “head, heart, hip,” or head injury, heart attack and hip fracture - to mental illness, drug overuse and crisis intervention, major trauma or Multi-casualty Incidents (MCI), emergency childbirth and many other topics we know require immediate and ongoing care until municipal paramedic services arrive.

Our responders have experience treating these emergencies and have been certified based on their instruction and testing in these aspects of emergency care, as well as their real-world performance in the field.

This is not something other private sector emergency response companies can say.

3. Serving Canada and the World for More than 30 Years

CZER has been at this a long time. We have learned many lessons about what works and what does not in a private sector first response setting.

We know what works and what doesn’t in a training program, or a deployment, or equipment we sell or recommend.

Most companies in this field do not have the same level of experience and do not have a former paramedic and SAR technician as the Executive Director. Our Faculty of 6 Subject Matter Experts have a combined 200 years of experience and service.

4. Premium Services at Reasonable Prices

Our responders are A-EMCAs (provincial paramedic credentialing) but we do not charge more than other services who often use EMRs, a lower level of certification which does not include “on road” experience.

5. We've Got Your 6!

Did you know Security Officers can get hurt too? By thugs, or lifting improperly, or any number of ways, just like every other human being? We bet you DID know that!

Any employee can have a heart attack or slip on icy pavement at work as easily as they can at home.

Having Emergency Medical Responders ensures your own team of security, event management and other staff are cared for rapidly and professionally if they are hurt or sick.

Sometimes security teams are put in danger by aggressive individuals or groups. Some security companies call officers working in these dangerous settings “tactical security.”

Code Zero Emergency Response makes your team safer. We can perform non-violent crisis intervention and defuse angry people, so security can regain control of the situation if they are overwhelmed in numbers or circumstances.

We have experience training and embedding medics in tactical security teams since 1994 and use specially trained, certified and experienced medics for this role.

Having medics assisting your team means the medics can manage issues related to homelessness, drug overuse etc with compassion and skill. This allows your security officers and staff to do their own jobs rather than trying to be part-time social workers.

In the end, having medics in your team builds community goodwill, reduces staff paid time off from injuries or illness and shows your entire team feel you care about their safety. Morale for security and staff is increased by this approach, as well as the knowledge that they can concentrate on being excellent security guards and staff, not part-time outreach workers.

The more our emergency services and medical system are overwhelmed, and the more crime increases, the more Code Zero medics will add to your safety and your business bottom line.

5 Reasons to Choose CZER