A coroner's inquest into the death of 59-year-old James Hearst is set to begin on Tuesday, April 6 at 9:30 a.m.
The inquest, which is expected to last three weeks and hear from about 30 witnesses, will take place at the Toronto Coroners Courts, 14 Grosvenor St.Dr. Bert Lauwers, deputy chief coroner for investigation, will serve as the inquest coroner, while Lorraine Cavion will be counsel to the coroner.The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.Hearst died on June 26, 2009 after suffering a heart attack in his apartment at 40 Alexander St.Records indicate it took emergency crews more than half an hour to respond to the call.Last June, Toronto EMS Chief Bruce Farr said paramedics arrived at the building nine minutes after the emergency call was made but that they did not enter it due to unnamed health and safety concerns. He said once paramedics heard that Hearst was not breathing, "they put aside their own health and safety concerns and acted immediately on that information and went into the scene."Farr added the original EMS call was for a man who was bleeding after suffering a blow to the head.At the request of the City of Toronto, Ontario's Ministry of Health launched an investigation of the Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS) following Hearst's death.- Joanna Lavoie with files from Justin Skinner