Sask. ambulance service says save your calls for known emergencies [Video]

Medavie Health Services West wants people in Saskatoon to stop and check in on people who they believe may need medical help before calling 911.

The ambulance service is seeing a sharp rise in “man down” calls for service in recent weeks. Often times when paramedics arrive, a person is laying down or sleeping and isn’t in need of medical attention.

“I would call them cellphone savers,” said Troy Davies, Medavie’s director of public affairs.

“People are good Samaritans and they’re thinking when they see somebody lying in a park or maybe lying on the sidewalk that they need help. A lot of times we get there and we’re being told that the patient doesn’t want an ambulance and doesn’t know why we were called.”

Davies said Medavie responded to 600 of these call types last year.

With resources stretched thin in recent years under increasing call volumes, Davies is …