Ottawa Paramedics were kept busy overnight on Friday, responding to 14 overdose calls in less than 10 hours.

The calls came in between 7:20p.m. Friday and 4:20a.m Saturday and included both drug and alcohol overdoses.

“This happens every day,” said Supt. Garth Tourangeau, with Ottawa Paramedic Services. “There are vulnerable people in our society that unfortunately succumb to overdoses, whether it is accidental or deliberate, and alcohol intoxication, things like that happen all the time.”

Tourangeau said about 10 per cent of calls coming in on a Friday will be related to an overdose, and that these types of calls can slow resources down.

“We have numerous calls, they go up, and we have limited numbers of vehicles… our vehicles are stuck waiting at the hospital so they can offload us, and (the hospital) is busy too,” Tourangeau said.

Below is a full list of calls paramedics received – at least seven people were taken to hospital.

  • 19:20 – Overdose in Kanata – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 20:18 – Alcohol Abuse in Kanata – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 20:54 – Overdose in the Crystal Beach area – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 21:27 – Alcohol Abuse in Kanata – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 23:36 – Overdose downtown – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 01:17 – Overdose in Orleans – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 02:11 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 02:57 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 03:15 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 03:44 – Overdose downtown – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 03:51 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and released on scene
  • 03:55 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 03:55 – Alcohol Abuse downtown – 1 patient treated and transported to hospital
  • 04:16 – Alcohol Abuse in Kanata – 1 patient treated and released on scene