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Long before the overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in April, first responders, doctors and the loved ones of drug users could see plenty of hard work and heartache ahead.

Last month, the B.C. Coroners Service announced that 555 people had died from an illicit-drug overdose in B.C. in the first nine months of 2016, compared to 505 for all of 2015. Coroners statistics show that fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid dealers are cutting into drugs of all kinds — was detected in about 61 per cent of these overdoses.

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As the fentanyl crisis continues to devastate communities across B.C., people who live and work through it every day share stories from the front lines.

Al Pruden, the paramedic

It’s been an exceptionally busy year for B.C.’s 4,100 paramedics.

In 2015, crews responded to 12,260 suspected overdose and poisoning events but in the first nine months of 2016 had already handled 12,911.