Calgary Fire is adding a medical unit downtown

The Calgary Fire Department has deployed a second medical response unit to handle more calls within the city.

CFD says it responds to life-threatening medical emergencies such as respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest and overdose.

Smaller vehicles only respond to medical calls to free up fire trucks and other heavy vehicles for other emergencies.

Each unit is staffed by two firefighters, but the units are not designed to transport patients.

Firefighters will stay with patients until Alberta Health Services EMS arrives on scene to assist with patient care and on-call transport.

The units were created with funding from the council in last year's budget, with the first relaunching in 2023.

It operates out of Station 1 downtown and answered about 6,000 calls in its first year.

Last year, firefighters responded to 52,000 medical calls, an 18 percent increase over the previous year.

Responses to opioid calls were 45 percent higher in 2023 than in 2022, according to the agency.

Medical calls are more than the department's annual call volume, more than all other types of calls combined.

The second unit operates out of station 2 on the belt line.

CFD medical response units expect to respond to about 10,000 calls this year.