Vancouver Firefighters Face Record Overdoses

💔 Vancouver Firefighters Face Record Overdoses — Here’s How You Can Help 🚒

On November 21, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) faced a day like no other, responding to 54 overdoses in a single day — the highest ever recorded by the department 😢. For comparison, VFRS averaged 16 overdoses/day in May, and recent weeks have shown a sharp surge 📈. During Income Assistance Week, firefighters averaged 45 overdoses/day, showing how the opioid crisis continues to devastate the city 💔.

Firehall 2, at the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), has been pushed to unprecedented limits ⚠️. Last week alone, it responded to 452 emergency calls, compared to 229 during the same period last year. These included overdoses, fires 🔥, alarms 🚨, and other life-threatening emergencies, often requiring backup from other firehalls. On some days, call volumes exceeded 80 emergencies, with firefighters racing from one crisis to the next 💨.

Nine years after the opioid emergency was declared, individuals, families, communities, and first responders continue to bear the daily weight of this epidemic 🫂. Firefighters, exposed constantly to extreme human suffering, are limited to 81 shifts at Firehall 2 to prevent compassion fatigue 💔😓. Yet they continue to answer unprecedented calls, saving lives every day 👏💪.

These brave men and women deserve our recognition, gratitude, and support. While we can’t all be on the frontlines, there are meaningful ways to help both firefighters and the community they serve:

💡 Ways to Support

1. Donate to firefighter‑affiliated charities

• Vancouver Firefighter Charities (VFC): Supports community programs for kids, seniors, and vulnerable populations.
• BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund: Helps burn survivors, hospital equipment, and recovery programs.

2. Support harm‑reduction and overdose prevention

• Overdose Prevention Society (OPS): Frontline overdose response and harm reduction in the DTES.
• PHS Community Services Society: Provides housing, healthcare, mental health, and harm-reduction programs.
• Purpose Society: Mobile health and overdose crisis response.

3. Volunteer your time or skills

• Many organizations welcome volunteers to help with meals, outreach, or administrative tasks.
• Your photography, media, or social-media skills could help raise awareness and humanize the crisis.

4. Donate essentials

• Warm clothing, socks, blankets, hygiene kits — especially in winter — go directly to people experiencing homelessness or at risk.

5. Advocate and share awareness

• Reduce stigma around addiction and homelessness by sharing stories, writing blog posts, or supporting campaigns that highlight the ongoing overdose crisis.

Even small gestures can make a big difference. Vancouver’s firefighters continue to put their lives on the line every day, facing unimaginable human suffering, and your support — whether through donations, volunteer work, or raising awareness — can help them continue their critical work ❤️.