There were 25,176 calls for service in 2023 for the Saskatoon Fire Department, which the organization said is a 57 per cent increase compared to 2019.
The 2023 Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) Year in Review was brought forward to this week’s environment, utilities and corporate services committee meeting and showcased the increased calls and response fire crews have been contending with.
The number of incidents in the city has been steadily increasing since 2019, which had 16,029 calls for service.
SFD said that this a 15 per cent increase in calls compared to 2022 and a 57 per cent increase in calls compared to 2019.
When looking at the types of incidents fire crews are responding to, there are increases to fire suppression incidents and other calls, and the largest increases can be seen from EMS calls, reaching over 11,000 calls last year compared to under 7,000 in 2019.
Looking more closely at the EMS calls, the fire department said most calls revolved around unconsciousness or fainting, breathing problems, chest pain, or overdosing or poisoning.
The report also highlighted that among the top 10 types of EMS calls there were increases across the board compared to 2022.
Fire inspectors had 1,020 interactions with homeless people in 2023 and 366 people were offered access to community supports.
The fire department said there were encampments found in 60 of the 66 neighbourhoods within the city.
It was also noted that 15,697 discarded needles were collected last year.
The report delved into the Overdose Outreach Team, noting that on top of the referrals to Mental Health and Addictions Services as well as housing services, naloxone training and consultations, 941 naloxone kits were distributed around Saskatoon.
When looking at fires in the city, the report said that $80.48 million worth of property and infrastructure caught fire last year. It added that $7.75 million was lost due to fire damage.
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