'The stuff you see on a daily basis, it's not normal': A night inside Vancouver's busiest fire hall
This is the final story in a three-part series following Vancouver’s police, paramedics, and firefighters.
Fire Hall No. 2 on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is the busiest in the city, and arguably the busiest in Canada. And the number of calls for help keeps rising.
In December, the hall saw 1,600 calls for service – 600 more than the average for the second-busiest hall and about 1,100 more than the city's other stations.
Lt. Dale Maffie has been a firefighter for 18 years, and currently serves as an officer on the Hall No. 2 medic truck. He said because of the intensity of the job, firefighters can only be stationed at the hall for about a year, before moving to another location.
“Anywhere from eight to 10 months in, you start getting pretty jaded,” he said.
“The stuff you see on a daily basis… it’s not normal, so our brains have a hard time coping with what’s going on sometimes.”
CTV News spent a night alongside firefighters from the city's busiest station.
The first call was a tripped smoke alarm. Within seconds, the crew of four was loaded into the rig, driving with lights and sirens blaring to a nearby single-room occupancy building. It only took a few minutes to determine the scene was safe, someone had been smoking in a hallway.
Due to its location, the hall responds to a high number of overdoses, with these calls representing 22 per cent of all medical incidents.
CTV News was taken to two calls on the night of the ride-along, both inside SRO buildings.
The first call was canceled once crews arrived because paramedics had already arrived. The second involved a 30-year-old man on methadone, a powerful opioid, he said he was feeling extreme body chills and pain.
When crews arrived he was alert but agitated. This particular building was “one of the nicer ones” according to crew members, though inside the unit there were still bed bugs and cockroaches. Through his mask one of the medics began to smell something burning. The man had been cooking a pizza before he collapsed.
It wasn’t long before paramedics arrived and the man was taken in an ambulance to St. Pauls Hospital.
There was also a small fire that had started across the road, someone was burning something in an alley. It was easy for crews to extinguish this one but other outdoor fires have been a growing problem.
These types of fires in 2022 increased five per cent from 2021, but are up 78 per cent from 2019. The biggest concern with outdoor fires is they can quickly spread to buildings and that there's a danger smoke alarms on the inside won’t be activated until it’s too late.
Firefighters are also sounding the alarm about a worker shortage. The union says 55 more firefighters are needed to serve the city safely.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.