Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am a firefighter in Vancouver. I'm also chair of a political engagement committee for our union, Vancouver Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Fighters - Local 18.
The Vancouver firefighters appreciate this opportunity to share our views with you as you study the opioid crisis in Canada. We appreciate the committee's recognition of our role in responding to the crisis and its interest in hearing directly from firefighters as we all work toward the mutual goal of mitigating the consequences of the human tragedy that is unfolding in our city.
Our union represents more than 760 full-time professional firefighters in the city of Vancouver, men and women who respond to virtually any emergency in minutes and who are the city's first line of defence.
We are an all-hazard public safety service that is 100% municipally funded. Our members respond not only to fires, where suppression and rescue of trapped citizens may be required, but also to medical emergencies, where we administer first aid until paramedics arrive, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescues, ice and water rescues, and any other kind of emergency.
As witnessed in the past, especially the past few months, Vancouver firefighters are on the front lines of the opioid crisis that is sweeping our city—especially the Downtown Eastside, which, for lack of a better expression, is ground zero for this epidemic—which largely results from abuse of fentanyl and even stronger opioids.
Only a few years ago, police and public health agencies were warning that fentanyl abuse was a growing problem in Canada. Today, they are warning that “bionic” opioids 100 times stronger than fentanyl are coursing through the streets, finding their way into the hands of everyone, from hardened addicts to teens who are just looking to party on the weekend.
Vancouver firefighters are seeing the devastating results of this first-hand. We are witnessing the tragic human toll of this crisis on a daily basis, dozens of times a day. The crisis is also taking a toll on the many agencies and workers on the front lines, including firefighters, and it's taking a toll on the resources that our department has available for the purpose of safely and effectively protecting the public from all emergencies.
To put this problem in perspective, here are some numbers. I'm sure you've heard them, but please let me repeat. According to the B.C. coroner's office, the percentage of illicit drug deaths in which fentanyl is involved rose from 5% in 2012 to 30% in 2015, to 60% so far in 2016. This is moving in the wrong direction.
In the first eight months of this year, Vancouver firefighters responded to 2,287 overdose incidents, an average of 286 per month, though that number spiked to 319 overdose incidents in July, and 341 in August. The vast majority of these overdoses were in the catchment of fire hall 2 in the Downtown Eastside, which earlier this month recorded over 1,000 emergency calls in a single month for the first time in our history, and it has remained at that extreme level ever since. In essence, our call volume has doubled since fentanyl entered the picture.
Emergency medical response is nothing new for Vancouver firefighters. We arrive quickly on the scene of medical emergencies and use existing personnel and vehicles to improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Adding the very effective opioid antidote naloxone and the appropriate training to firefighters' medical skills has made a huge difference in the current opioid crisis.
Our medical role is also a great example of a value-added service that has a major benefit at relatively little cost. Our capacity to respond to medical emergencies such as opiate overdoses adds capacity to the existing provincially funded ambulance service. Our ability to respond quickly using existing fire department personnel and vehicles puts a trained professional on scene in a timely and cost-effective manner while freeing ambulance resources for other emergencies.
But as our fire department's resources become increasingly focused on one type of emergency within a six-block area of the city, it can only be expected that there will be impacts in other areas. Responding to the opioid crisis can tie up resources, which means fire apparatus may have to come from a nearby district in order to respond to other emergencies. This, in turn, can affect response times at a time when every second counts.
Remarkably, despite booming construction and sharp population growth, there are fewer front-line firefighters in Vancouver than there were 20 years ago. Our association is working hard at the local level to advocate for increased front-line resources, which are a key element of public and firefighter safety. Our role in responding to the opioid crisis has also meant there are fewer resources available for fire prevention work in the communities we serve. There's less time for the training we normally undergo on a regular basis to ensure that we are skilled and prepared to do our jobs effectively.
Another consequence of the opioid crisis is the toll it takes on all those who are on the front lines and who see its results first-hand. Specifically, it takes a toll on an individual's mental health to see such helplessness and suffering up close on a daily basis; to work extremely hard but to feel that you are having little or no impact on a problem that is growing exponentially, like a tidal wave, on the streets of your city. There is mental strain in watching a population repeatedly harming itself and in ultimately witnessing death and deceased persons who have succumbed to this human tragedy. There's physical and mental strain in the sheer volume of responses, which ultimately affects a firefighter's ability to recuperate between shifts.
On this point I feel I must be clear. I must stress that our brothers and sisters who work in the Downtown Eastside are in trouble. They feel abandoned and they feel hopeless. In conversations with these firefighters, I hear a lot of “It's driving me nuts” and “I can't take it”. I'm told stories of their being in an alley with 20 or 30 drug users. They're unprepared and untrained for that. Part of their hopelessness comes from having to deal with the same particular overdose patient who has a needle in their neck, who's rolling around in urine and feces, more than once on the same shift. They feel abandoned and they feel hopeless.
It bears mentioning that while Vancouver may be ground zero for the fentanyl crisis, it is a national problem that's now taken root in cities across Canada. In Ontario 162 deaths were reported as fentanyl overdoses in 2015, and in Atlantic Canada at least 32 deaths, according to news reports. It is a national problem, with provincial and also federal implications, in that illicit opioids, such as the ones wreaking havoc on my Downtown Eastside, are typically shipped to Canada from destinations such as Asia, with Vancouver being an obvious port of entry.
As noted, our medical response eases the burden on the provincially funded ambulance system. In that context, the committee should note that Vancouver fire rescue's role in responding to this opioid crisis is an example of a municipal government shouldering a cost that isn't borne solely at the municipal level, and that municipal and provincial requests for funding should be viewed through that lens when appropriate. The Vancouver Fire Fighters' Union commends the work that various government and non-governmental agencies are doing in response to the opioid crisis. We support current social initiatives that are designed to reduce harm, ease suffering, and otherwise assist those who are struggling due to the opioid crisis.
I'd like to add that I offer a unique perspective, as not only am I a Vancouver fireman but I also live in the Downtown Eastside. The people who choose to come down there to work with the severely addicted mentally ill deserve our thanks, so that's what I'm doing. We, as Vancouver firefighters, are but one of the many groups of dedicated people who are doing what they can to alleviate this crisis.
Thank you again for undertaking this important study and for requesting the input of Vancouver firefighters. I welcome any questions the committee members may have.
Thank you.