Tom Bilous, a firefighter and president of the Winnipeg Unified Fire Brigade, said the number of medical and mental health calls in the city is increasing every day.
He said the increased demand is putting a strain on first responders.
“This is not a five-minute call,” he said. “You're not taping a sprained ankle. You're sitting and listening and dealing with the person until the appropriate resources arrive or they get taken to the hospital. That's why resources are Stressed, fire resources are spread thinly and unable to respond to other emergencies.”
Earlier this week, Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smith said his department's officers respond to these types of situations most often than other types of calls.
“We now participate in about 21,000 such calls a year. We've gone beyond domestic. Domestic calls used to always be the most expensive type of call. We're still at a high level of around 17,000 calls. ” he said.
Smith and Bilous believe there aren't enough mental health resources, which is why first responders receive these types of calls so often.
Bilous says this is a complex issue.
Get the latest Health IQ news. Sent to your email every week.
“It starts with the numbers. We need mental health professionals and resources on the ground,” he said. “Our members try their best. I think these soft skills develop over time and experience. They try their best, but we know our limits. ” he said.
Overall, he said, these types of calls are draining for firefighters. “They're exhausted. They're tired. They feel helpless. We can go and listen, but we can't do much more while we wait for resources.”
Bilous said, “We know everyone wants more resources: hospitals, paramedics, fire, police.” However, he said the Alternative Responses to Citizens in Crisis (ARCC) pilot project said there is hope.
“I don't have the answer, but certainly across the board we need more mental health professionals to help people in need,” he said.
Smith said the program works by having mental health workers accompany police on certain calls, but only in volatile situations that are not life-threatening.
Another service that could alleviate emergency resources is 9-8-8, a Canada-wide suicide crisis helpline launched in November.
Suzanne Robertson, Director of Mental Health and Crisis Services at Clinic Community Health, said: You will be asked to respond and attend. ”
She echoed Bilous' concerns that there aren't enough resources to meet the needs of the community.
“We need more resources and community-based resources for emergency response and intervention for people facing mental health crises.”
Robertson said a further reality is the stigma surrounding mental health.
“These stigmas and stereotypes, and the shame that comes with them, actually prevent people from accessing services and feeling safe and comfortable using them,” she says.
— With files from Global's Teagan Rasche
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
