Around noon on Wednesday in Saskatoon’s Riversdale neighbourhood, sirens blared as fire crews responded to another emergency. The sound is becoming more frequent in that area and many others, as drug overdose numbers spiked to at least 680 last month.
Overdose Numbers Soar
This figure is four times higher than the 166 overdoses the fire department responded to in January. It also surpassed the 509 reported in March 2025, which prompted the city to activate the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC).
The provincial health ministry said on Wednesday that the city has not called for PEOC activation at this time. The PEOC was activated last year in coordination with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to help respond to the overdose crisis. The provincial government stated it would enhance coordination between ministries and organizations responding to overdoses.
Firefighters Under Pressure
Deputy Fire Chief Sean Thody noted that last year’s activation was related to a substance mixed with drugs that made intervention more difficult. “The drugs that were on the street in March 2025 were mixed with other substances that made them much less responsive to antidotes such as Naloxone,” Thody said. He added that Naloxone has been effective for current street drugs.
The union representing Saskatoon firefighters, IAFF Saskatoon Firefighter Local 80, called for change last month. Union president Jay Protz said, “Firefighters are showing up, saving lives, and doing everything that’s asked of them.” He urged more government involvement, including increased funding for emergency services and better access to mental health and addictions supports.
Rising EMS Responses
While the topic was deferred on Tuesday, a Saskatoon Fire “Year in Review” committee report shows that overdose responses nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, making it the department’s top type of EMS response. The report indicated that out of 2,512 overdose incidents in 2025, many involved more than one patient.
On Wednesday, union representative Jayden Poirie explained that the number of patients requiring response is not always reported when crews head to a call. “It’s kind of random, but more often than not it’s a group of people. And you can kind of sum it up to whatever they’re using being shared.”
Calls for Assistance
Poirie and Jared Benson, treasurer of the firefighters’ union, renewed their call for assistance, suggesting something similar to last year’s PEOC activation would be helpful. “We’re not experts in long-term solutions, but it’s taxing our resources here in Saskatoon,” Benson said, emphasizing the need for extra staffing.
As overdose calls increase, firefighters must also remain available for fires and car accidents. “We need to be available for those (calls) as well. We’re just looking for a little bit of assistance,” Benson added.
