SASKATOON — Saskatoon Fire Department Deputy Chief Rob Hogan said firefighters are continuing to meet emergency calls despite a sharp increase in overdose incidents in the past few months that has stretched crews and placed growing pressure on the department's resources.
Hogan told SaskToday that overdose responses have become part of the SFD’s workload, aside from the demands of fire suppression and other emergencies, such as several water-related incidents at the South Saskatchewan River, including a drowning last month.
Despite the increased workload, Hogan said firefighters continue to prioritize calls based on urgency and location, while moving resources between stations when necessary to ensure emergency coverage across the city.
"When a crew is sent to an overdose, they're tied up at that call. Additional resources would be assigned to other emergencies. Sometimes we have to bring engine companies from other parts of the city down to help with the strain of what's going on, but we're still able to meet our calls,” said Hogan.
“It is putting a strain on our resources. Our crews are seeing multiple patients at some of these overdoses. They're having to use medications like Naloxone, perform CPR and provide other life-saving interventions when they arrive."
He added that they have overdose calls fluctuate throughout the year, with over 600 incidents happening in April, around 500 in May, dropping to about 300 in June, which is currently the same number this month with still a week to go.
Hogan said the nature of those calls has changed, with firefighters increasingly encountering multiple overdose victims at a single scene, including incidents in July involving multiple overdose patients, with the vicinity of the now shuttered Prairie Harm Reduction facility a hot spot of activity.
The closure of PHR’s safe consumption site has coincided with an increase in overdoses around that area, making the problem no longer confined to one neighbourhood, and crews responding to multiple cases in one area have created additional challenges for them and other first responders.
"We've been seeing several incidents where one overdose call might actually involve multiple patients. That obviously increases the amount of work required when crews get there,” said Hogan, who added that they must quickly assess the scene and determine how to divide available resources.
“There is an increase in that area [near PHR facility], but I think it's spread quite a bit throughout the city. The overdoses that would have normally been managed around Prairie Harm have now fallen to emergency services and the fire department to take care of."
He said that the SFD works closely with the Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Health Authority when responding to overdose calls, with police officers often administering Naloxone before firefighters arrive, and the latter providing support to individuals after emergency crews leave the scene.
"This year that's become the minority of our calls. But we are seeing an uptick where we still have to give Naloxone, perform CPR, provide ventilation and deal with multiple patients. Right now, we're close to 1,000 overdoses compared to last year, so it's still a significant demand on our crews," he said.
Other partners' support
The SPS, meanwhile, has intensified its fight against illegal substances and made significant strides in the last four months, including a 10-day high-visibility enforcement and crime disruption operations in areas of increased activity as part of their proactive approach.
The operation, conducted from May 19 to May 30, resulted in 578 project-initiated calls and 256 patrol-level responses that led to 196 new arrests and 181 new charges laid on 98 suspects, while 292 outstanding warrants were executed on 117 offenders.
Police have also seized one real and three imitation firearms, 23 bladed weapons, six canisters of bear spray, five blunt weapons, 20.37 grams of methamphetamine, 16.65 grams of cocaine, 7.38 grams of fentanyl, 17 gabapentin pills, two pregabalin pills and one unknown pill.
The SPS said they have been working alongside the SFD and their other public safety and health partners in responding to overdose cases. They, however, do not attend to every report of an overdose since the SFD and Medavie Health Services are more capable of dealing with the cases.
“As a police service, we have dedicated teams committed to conducting drug investigations and removing illicit substances from the streets, including the Drug Unit, Crime Reduction Team, and Community Mobilization Unit,” said the SPS in a statement.
The Health Ministry, meanwhile, has been in contact with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the City of Saskatoon, and the SFD to ensure a collaborative response to the overdose situation, as part of the provincial government expanding access to addictions treatment.
The Ministry has also set up recovery supports and services that help individuals overcome substance use challenges and achieve lifelong recovery, as part of their investments to the Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions.
These include addictions supports in emergency departments, take-home Naloxone and other drug-checking supplies, peer support services, and providing $1 million for the Saskatchewan Drug Task Force, which has established Overdose Outreach Teams in Saskatoon and Regina.
The Task Force also developed the Saskatchewan Drug Alerts system to notify residents of elevated overdose risks in their communities and provided trauma-informed care training for approximately 1,500 government, agency, and community frontline staff.
“The Government of Saskatchewan also provides funding to the SHA for ground ambulance services across the province. Ambulance services, along with municipal police and fire departments, remain critical frontline partners in responding to overdose-related emergencies,” said the Ministry.
