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04_V1_WAT_Nov02 2 uniq ue sho pping experi encesk-w surpl us CARPETED 4 PK CAR MATS $999 MEN'S GOLD TOE COMPRESSION SOCKS $699 HEAVY PVC SINGLE CAR MAT $599 FISHER PRICE ONESIE MARY'S ORGANIC CRACKERS $499 grey or black raised protective border anti-skid backing 8-15mmHg comfort band promotes circulation 566 gm 2 bags 6-9 months 1 style $149ea 666 Victoria St. N., Kitchener Mon.-Fri. 8-9; Sat. 9-6; Sun. 10-5 447 Huron Street, Stratford M.-W. 9-6; Th. & Fri. 9-8; Sat. 9-6; Sun. 10-5 We reserve the right to limit quantities. Some items may not be exactly as shown. Some items may be limited in quantity. www.kwsurplus.com $899 SIAMESE MAT 3 Ft. X 4 ft. rubber backed dark grey 4 FOR $499 Made iN CaNada gluTeN FRee compare @ $18.00 OR 4 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • Thursday, November 2, 2017 Serving your community since 1856 By Adam Jackson Chronicle Staff The ongoing opioid crisis is a daily fact of life for para-medics in the Region of Waterloo. Dealing with as many as 11 overdose-related calls per day, paramedics continue to see the effects of opioids -- includ- ing highly potent fentanyl and carfentanil -- that continue to cause a multitude of issues, including death, within the region. Robert Crossan, deputy chief of Region of Waterloo Paramed- ic Services, said it's an issue he sees nearly every day -- and it's not just in the places one would expect. "Obviously, there are spots that we go to regularly -- we go to hotels, motels and places like that," said Crossan. "But we also respond to $500,000, $800,000 houses. It has gone across the board now in terms of demo- graphic." Crossan said paramedics usually respond to overdoses of people in the 20 to 35-year-old age range, but it's not limited to that. "We respond to people in their 60s and people that are under 20," said Crossan. "Not all that frequent, but it certainly happens." The explosion of overdose- related calls is unprecedented in Waterloo Region. To date, there have been 532 overdose-related calls in 2017, plus 55 deaths. Last year's total for the entire year was 503 overdose-related calls. In 2015, it was just 273. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, there were 33 overdose-related calls in Waterloo Region. "I don't need to say this, but that's a lot," said Crossan, who spent 23 years as a field para- medic before becoming deputy chief. "We're expecting to get well past 600 overdose calls this year." Crossan added that nalox- one, known as the overdose antidote, is seldom used by paramedics. They work through a list of other stimuli before resorting to the drug. EMS has dealt with drug epi- demics before. In the mid and late 1990s, the explosion of crack cocaine use was a challenge for local resources, including para- medics. But fentanyl, Crossan said, is a different monster. "The difference is fentanyl kills people," said Crossan. "It's so easy to screw up just a little bit and overdose." Opioids are often prescribed by doctors to control pain, but they are highly addictive and many users move to injection, rather than oral use to maintain their high. Opioids have been an issue for some time, said Cros- san. The difference now is the emergence of fentanyl, the syn- thetic, stronger version, which can be traced back to about June of last year. Fentanyl is considered 50 times more powerful than her- oin. With regional daily call volumes at about 110 to 120 a day and on the rise due to an increasing senior population, the added stress of an additional two to six overdose calls per day is pushing EMS to the limit. To compound the issue, many overdose calls are called in as Vital Signs Absent (VSA) since the victim is not breathing. When paramedics receive VSA calls, they generally respond with two ambulances, the sec- ond of which equipped with advanced life supports. Crossan hopes that with the addition of proposed safe injec- tion sites and rapid access clin- ics, users can get the help they need to either get into addic- tions counselling or just remain safer while using. M e a n w h i l e , W a t e r l o o regional police took a signifi- cant amount of fentanyl off the streets on Tuesday. After a long investigation, police seized nearly 1.5 kilograms of suspect- ed fentanyl worth an estimat- ed $450,000 and have charged seven people. "This is a significant drug sei- zure," said Supt. Pat Dietrich, in a news release. "We believe that by taking this quantity of fen- tanyl and other illegal drugs off the streets that we saved many lives." "I don't need to say that, but that's a lot. We're expecting to get well past 600 overdose calls this year." Robert Crossan Deputy chief, Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services Paramedics feel the strain dealing with increasing overdose calls file photo Waterloo Region paramedics are feeling the strain from overdose call volumes. in 2017, the region is on pace to surpass 600 total calls for overdoses.