Regina looks to solve issue of people passed out in public

It's a sad and shocking image — someone passed out on a sidewalk or in a bus shelter downtown in Regina and Saskatoon. 

However, responding to calls for people passed out in public is an everyday occurrence for police and ambulance crews in Saskatchewan's two biggest urban centres.

Shawna Semeganis, a frontline manager at Carmichael Outreach just down the street from the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's (RQHR) detox centre, said she and other staff often need to call an ambulance to pick up passed out people near the building.

"It's pretty much on a daily basis. I expect it weekly. It could be male, female, just depending on who's had too much," Semeganis said. 

She said that some in the community have come to recognize Carmichael as a safe place because they know she "will be there to go check up on them, to make sure they get an ambulance, or into detox, or get picked up by police."

On the day of CBC's visit, Semeganis has been monitoring a man beside her building. He has a big bruise over his eye and she's worried he may have hit his head when he fell down. There's a half empty bottle of alcohol by his feet and some water another person at Carmichael has set beside him.

Semeganis said she is worried about people who pass out in public because they are often a target of violence.

There's people the just go and outright hit them for nothing or throw stuff at them.- Shawna Semeganis, Carmichael Outreach 

"There's people that just go and outright hit them for nothing or throw stuff at them. Life has beaten them down immensely and to have someone throw a milkshake at them, that's absolutely not necessary," Semeganis said. 

Carmichael staff called an ambulance for the man with a bruise and when the EMTs arrived, they woke him up and called him by name. 

Ken Luciak, of Emergency Medical Services for the RQHR, said his crews tend to see a lot of "repeat customers" with substance abuse issues.

"There's about a dozen people who will need an ambulance called at least once a month, sometimes three times a month," Luciak explained. 

Each of those ambulance rides costs $325, a cost that the health region swallows when patients can't pay.

Most of the people picked up off the street are taken the Emergency Room at Regina General Hospital.

However, paramedics will check and if the problem is only related to alcohol, some people may be taken directly to the brief detox centre, if there is room. There is an EMT stationed at the 20-bed centre 24 hours a day and those beds are generally full.  

Detox and police cells are the only places available to people in Regina who need a safe place to sleep it off. Salvation Army and Soul's Harbour have temporary emergency accommodations, but those in need have to be sober to stay there. 

Pilot project designed to reduce demand

The Lighthouse in Saskatoon has partnered with the Saskatoon Health Region for a six-month pilot project designed to reduce the demand for ambulance trips and Emergency Room visits from Lighthouse clients. 

DeeAnn Mercier with the organization said that as an emergency shelter, supported living and affordable housing centre, the Lighthouse was calling the ambulance around 40 times a month on average.

"Our clientele were very high users of the system, so they decided to put a paramedic on site for 12 hours a day," Mercier said. 

"That has greatly reduced our need to call the ambulance so much. We are able to assess people on site, whether it is a medical emergency or something we can treat on site. We have a nurse practitioner part time as well so we are able to do a lot more supports here."

It's just a better use of our city resources.- DeeAnn Mercier Lighthouse

The lighthouse also runs a mobile outreach, which started as a refurbished ambulance and is now a Dodge Caravan.

Mercier said that vehicle is available 16 hours a day to take people to appointments and transport intoxicated people to a safe place.

Dispatch in Saskatoon can now call the Lighthouse to check on someone who is passed out in public instead of calling police.  

"It's just a better use of our city resources," Mercier explained. "People were sometimes having to wait very long because police have to respond to things that are greater emergency. It really wasn't effective to deal with people who just needed a safe place to spend the time."

In Saskatoon, those people can go to the Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse opened a "stabilization unit," or supervised dormitory, in 2013. It was regularly open from 4 p.m. CST to 8 a.m. CST, but the wet shelter will stay open during this six-month pilot project 24 hours a day.

Mercier said that means the beds in detox can remain reserved for people who need medical supervision. 

Who do you call?

In both Regina and Saskatoon, people coming across someone passed out in a public place are advised to first check and make sure the person is breathing.

People in Saskatoon can call emergency dispatch, who may send the Lighthouse mobile outreach vehicle. In Regina, people can call 9-1-1 and they will dispatch police or ambulance.

If possible, authorities may request the caller to stay with the passed out person until emergency services arrive.​