COVID-19 pandemic leads to 300% increase in overdose calls for Saskatoon Fire Department

Year in Review: Morgan Hackl WATCH: Saskatoon Fire Department has seen a 300 per cent increase in overdose calls over the past two years.

Saskatoon Fire Department has seen a 300 per cent increase in overdose calls over the past two years.

Fire Chief Morgan Hackl attributed the rise to the COVID-19 pandemic in a year-end interview with CTV News.

"I think what I can say is that there's been a real impact that is pandemic-related, to mental health, mental wellness and addictions. We're seeing more homeless people on the street, we're seeing more people that are openly using drugs in our community. And so that's a real concern for us."

The overall number of calls increased 21 per cent in 2021.

You can watch the full interview on the video player above.