Saskatoon firefighters ‘exasperated’ as overdose calls skyrocket, says union president

It was just last week that Saskatoon’s Fire Department received 80 calls for overdoses in a single 24-hour period.

That’s more than three overdose calls every hour – not counting other medical, assistance, or fire-related calls.

According to Jay Protz, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 80 in Saskatoon, the department is presently responding to 16 or 17 per day, on average.

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Citing information from the City of Saskatoon, NDP Critic Matt Love said that during the month of April, Saskatoon firefighters responded to 680 overdose calls.

According to the 2025 SFD Year in Review report, presented to councilors on May 5, that number would far exceed the record of 509 overdose calls cited in March 2025.

650 CKOM has requested that report from the city, as well, to independently verify the numbers presented by the Official opposition. On Wednesday, the city said it was working to gather those figures.

Protz said the way this year is playing out, the number of overdose calls this year could eclipse last year’s.

“The difference, though, is last year there was a bad drug kind of floating around, and we were able to kind of get through that piece.

“Unlike last year, (this year) there’s been a significant uptick in the number of overdoses we’re just doing, period … our on-scene time is increasing, but that’s because of the sheer number versus the bad drugs that we had last year,” he explained.

It’s taking a toll on SFD members.

“I would say that it becomes not difficult, but it becomes the norm … but you go home at night going, ‘Well, did I really make a difference?’ And yes, I mean, we’re saving lives, bar none … but (at) the same time you’re going to the same people over and over. You’re going to the same call over and over,”

He said firefighters know they “signed up” to make a difference in the community, but it would be nice to have more resources and help, so they can go back to their “core” services.

The feeling, he said, is exasperation.

“Maybe that’s the word that we’re looking for. But yes, we’re going and we’re gonna do it, and we’re gonna do it well, we’re gonna do it 100 per cent all the time. Give it our all. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.

When asked whether the closure of Prairie Harm Reduction – previously the city’s only supervised consumption site – has affected the number of overdoses the city is seeing, Protz said calls used to be more concentrated. Now, they’re more widespread.

“Before it was a little more in one location … we’re having to go to a different location, perhaps. So I wouldn’t say it’s a catalyst or the closure has really spiked our numbers, but it spread our numbers out.”

What’s needed now, he said, is an ear and more resources from all levels of government.

“I think at the end of the day, we we need to just sit down and have those conversations. And these are the hard, difficult conversations with all levels of government, with our counselors, with our MLAs, with our MPs to be able to come to a bigger solution versus any short term stop gaps.”

That includes more mental health resources, time off to allow for decompression, additional staff, and help for those suffering with an addiction, he said.