Vancouver firefighters take record 70,000 calls in 2023

Vancouver firefighters say they’ve recieved more calls for service in 2023 than in any year ever before.

As of Wednesday, the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services had recieved 70,000 calls. The record before that was 2017, when they handled more than 66,000 calls.

“Another record breaking year, unfortunately,” VFRS spokesperson Capt. Matthew Trudeau told Global News. “We’ve seen historic fire calls as well within that, and historic, unprecedented overdose response calls as well.”

4:03 Vancouver firefighters respond to record number of calls

Firefighters responded to more than 4,200 fires this year. They responded to more than 8,700 overdose calls, a 32 per cent jump from 2022, Trudeau said.

“Objectively we get called to people’s worst day of their lives, and we see that worst day of their life over and over and over again, and see it in very high concentrations in the Downtown Eastside through multiple overdoses in a large population of people who are suffering out on the street, experiencing repeat overdoses or traumatic incidents or violence,” Trudeau said. “Our crews are often the first ones to see it, so creating a very challenging time as well for our crews.”

Of growing concern for firefighters this year were rechargeable batteries and lockable butane torches, both linked to a growing number of fires.

Firefighters are also urging people to take extra care around the traditional holiday-related fire sources, including unattended candles, old Christmas lights and space heaters left near combustible materials.