'Overdose emergency' prompts warning to avoid downtown Belleville
Paramedics called to 13 overdoses in 1 hour Tuesday afternoon
Emergency services responded to 14 suspected overdoses in downtown Belleville, Ont., Tuesday afternoon, according to police, who described the situation as an "overdose emergency."
A media release issued by the Belleville Police Service shortly after 4:30 p.m. warned members of the public to "exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel" to the downtown core.
"Emergency officials are currently responding to 13 overdose incidents during the past hour, prompting the need for increased vigilance and awareness in the affected areas," it read. Belleville Police Staff Sgt. Jeff Geen said police received another call after sending out the news release, bringing the number to 14 by early Tuesday evening.
Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services Chief Carl Bowker said his crews received seven calls about people downtown who were unconscious in just a 40-minute period. Five of them were taken to hospital on "high priority" status, he added.
"It's disheartening and frustrating all at the same time," he said, explaining the sheer number of calls overwhelms local services.
"On day shifts, we only have seven ambulances available. So we're pulling outside resources in."
Police ask public to 'avoid' the downtown core
Paramedics fielded at least 13 calls about overdoses between 2:30 and 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to Bowker. He said nine of those patients were transported to hospital.
A staff sergeant who answered the phone at Belleville police headquarters said the overdoses had occurred within a few blocks, near Bridge Street East, between Pinnacle Street and Church Street.
He said the request for residents to avoid downtown was meant to help emergency service crews have enough room to work. Geen said it was also to prevent those experiencing an overdose from getting injured.
"There are persons in the community that were suffering from overdoses, who are not always aware of their surroundings and could very easily walk onto roads," Geen said. "We were concerned about that."
Bowker said at one point police blocked a part of a street to allow ambulances access.
He said area paramedics had received a few calls about overdoses in recent days, but nothing compared to the volume on Tuesday afternoon.
When he left the scene, Bowker said two community paramedics were stationed at Bridge Street United Church, which offers drop-in services for the city's homeless. He said they would remain there for several hours in case any more help was needed.
The emergency comes just months after officials in Belleville sounded the alarm about a "crisis" that saw the number of overdose calls in the city spike more than tenfold in the first few days of November.
During a news conference on Nov. 7, which brought together officials with the fire department, area hospitals and public health, Police Chief Mike Callaghan said the city typically sees six or seven reports of overdoses in a week.
However, in that first week of November paramedics had been called to 90 — one of which was fatal, he said.
"We haven't seen it on this level or this scale before," the chief said at the time. "We have a community crisis and we have to act now before we lose more lives."
Don't use drugs alone
The police media release shared Tuesday said it's "imperative that residents and visitors alike exercise caution and refrain from engaging in activities that may put themselves or others at risk."
It shared advice from the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit saying anyone using drugs should avoid mixing substances, should try a small amount first in order to reduce the risk of drug poisoning, and should not use alone.
Police also suggested keeping at least one naloxone kit nearby and said anyone who is using drugs alone can call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677 where someone will stay on the line with them.
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