The joyful screams of children at Lathey Pool provided a stark contrast as members of Saskatoon's firefighters union once again pleaded for help addressing the city's overdose crisis.
Outside Fire Hall 3, Jay Protz, president of IAFF Saskatoon Firefighters Local 80, described firefighters as the community safety net, but that net has become frayed.
“We signed up to be firefighters. We signed up to help people with cardiac arrest, car accidents, those sorts of things,” he said. However, crews have become overburdened with overdose calls as numbers increase year-over-year. Both Medavie Health Services West and the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) respond to overdose calls, but fire crews can sometimes respond faster.
Overdose Numbers Spike
In April, there were 415 reported overdose events in Regina and 680 in Saskatoon — a significant spike compared to previous months. Saskatoon fire reported approximately 540 overdose events in May, showing a decrease of 140 calls.
This is not the first time the fire union has asked for government help. Protz and union members have spoken at NDP news conferences over the past few months. During the most recent conference, Protz would not specifically say what he would like to see from the provincial government, only that a discussion between the province and the city is needed.
Outdated SHA Contract
Meanwhile, preliminary discussions are starting between both Saskatoon and Regina’s fire departments and the Saskatchewan Health Authority around contracts. The SHA has a service contract with the fire departments for the medical work they do in their respective cities, but Saskatoon’s Fire Chief Doug Wegren said that contract has been outdated for about two decades.
Coun. Troy Davies asked Wegren, during a Saskatoon Fire year-in-review report discussion earlier this month, whether talks around a new contract have begun. Discussions began back in March, Wegren said, noting some personnel changes within the province have caused delays.
“We are actively pushing, requesting the province to come to the table,” he said.
Growing Challenges
Wegren acknowledged an increase in issues around homelessness and overdoses over the last few years. He said despite the challenge, the fire department has maintained empathy and the ability to respond “even though often times it’s a repeat performance, where sometimes we go to the same person a lot of times throughout the day.”
Wegren and city councillors discussed the contract further on Tuesday. City manager Jeff Jorgenson said the fire department is taking on a “very specific medical role” that is different from any other municipality in Saskatchewan. Jorgenson said “we think there is a very important business relationship there that needs to be sorted out” that has existed for many years, and resolving this issue could help with the fire department’s budget.
