As BC Ambulance struggles to fill paramedic positions in Kamloops, local firefighters are having to pick up the slack.

Sources have told NL News that Kamloops Fire and Rescue is responding to 56 per cent more calls when compared to last year.

Acting Fire Chief, Ryan Cail, did not say what the increase is, though he did confirm that it was over 50 per cent.

“There is no doubt, I think, that everybody is aware that call volume has gone up significantly,” he said. “We’ve even surpassed the COVID numbers as well.”

Speaking on NL Newsday, Cail says it is largely due to an increase in medical calls.

“Everything from the low acuity calls, the lift assists, the routines, all the way up to the purple and red calls, which we would consider like a cardiac arrest or the imminent life threatening ones for sure,” he said.

Cail says KFR will do what it can to respond to and stay operationally ready for the increase in call volumes.

“But there could come a time where something may occur similar to the COVID time where the low acuity calls, we don’t respond to unless we get some really good Intel that drives some more information, requiring a more urgent response from KFR to assist BC Ambulance,” he said.

Cail also cautions that there may be budget implications in the future, if Kamloops firefighters are required to work overtime because of the increase in call volumes.

“We’re going to do everything we can to avoid any added overtime cost,” he said. “We are working with BC Ambulance but all of our partner agencies are challenged with lots of different behind-the-scenes things that are making things difficult but we support them.”

“We’re going to work with them. We communicate with them. We know they’re working hard to put some remedies in place so that we can move forward and take care of the good people of Kamloops.”