Overdose related calls continue to drop in Cranbrook according to the Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Service’s quarterly report.
Fire and Emergency Services director Scott Driver says they had 377 pre-hospital care calls in the first quarter, but overdoses are no long in the top five of most common calls.
The quarter before, Cranbrook saw a 60 per cent decrease in overdose related calls.
Driver credits the work of local support groups.
“It is certainly worth highlighting when I see a community group, or groups, having a positive impact on citizen well-being in our community. I have seen significant improvements in the coordination of our homeless outreach programs, and this is reflected in the drop in number of calls we receive that can be correlated with homelessness,” he added.
In total, there were 525 calls for service in the first quarter of 2025, which Driver says is a manageable number.
“For the second quarter in a row, we are seeing stability in our call volumes, which is a welcome reprieve from the steady growth that we have experienced over the last few years,” Driver said.
“Much of the difference has been seen in decreasing pre-hospital care calls, and we are thankful for this reprieve. The noticeable absence of overdose calls is something staff and the community can be thankful for, as this change is certainly a good sign for the community.”
This quarter, the fire department attended seven structure fires, 45 outdoor/miscellaneous fires and 53 fire alarm activations.
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