While calls for service were up in 2024, Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services saw a 60 per cent decrease in overdose responses.
The 60 per cent decrease is substantially higher than the 13 per cent decrease provincially in 2024.
Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services Director Scott Driver says local community groups have had a big impact in reducing the department’s workload, especially in homelessness-related calls.
“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,” said Driver.
“In 2023, we responded to 85 nuisance campfires, and in 2024 there were just 33. This is a 61 per cent drop in just one year, and I believe this improvement can be directly related to the homeless population support work that is being completed by the many local organizations that are part of the Mayor’s Taskforce on Homelessness.”
In total, Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services received 2,431 calls for service in 2024, which was a 5.9 per cent increase from 2023.
Driver says it was a stark contrast to the previous year’s growth of nearly 36 per cent over 2022.
“We are happy to see the reduction in call growth in our community,” Driver added.
“I continue to be really proud of the work that our Firefighters do over the course of a year, and I am thankful to be reporting that call numbers appear to have stabilized as we begin 2025.”
In the fourth quarter, Cranbrook Fire Services responded to 522 calls, including six structure fires, 24 forest interface events, 24 motor vehicle incidents and 71 alarm activations.
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