Being able to continually adjust to the pandemic, reassess and determine the best and safest approach is something the Chief of Saskatoon Fire Department believes the City, its residents and the Fire Department have been able to successfully manoeuver. When reviewing 2021, Morgan Hackl notes that there was more demand on both emergency response and proactive prevention aspects of what the Fire Department does. Call volume rose by over 21 per cent. From 2019 in pre-pandemic times to the present, overdose calls to the Fire Department rose by 300 per cent.

Hackl adds that the work the Fire Department does around vulnerable people in the community, those who are homeless, or dealing with mental health and addictions, is a big part of what they do. In 2022, they will continue to build relationships with the City’s most vulnerable, while collaborating with community-based organizations and various levels of government to come up with some solutions.

Looking ahead, Hackl says they are close to taking possession of 40 acres of land which will become a Saskatoon Fire Department Regional Training Facility. The Fire Department would also like to build a new fire station in the west end. Hackl hopes to see that come to fruition in the future. He explains that over half of their call volumes comes from Station 1 on Idylwyld and Station 2 on Diefenbaker.