Substance Abuse
First responders are not immune from the opioid crisis; here’s what to know
By the end of May, every firefighter in Chattanooga will have completed online training about xylazine, a sedative veterinary drug, based on information from the DEA
Paramedics and Street Overdose Response Team members restocked the bystander’s naloxone supply and offered treatment services to the survivors
Moulton Fire Chief Ryan Jolly said he was shocked after fiirefighter Christopher Henley was arrested at the fire station
“Addiction -- It’s not a Choice, It’s a Disease,” was designed to give firefighters more insight into a problem they deal with nearly every day
Fire and EMS experience, overdose patient data and funding needs aren’t mentioned in commission’s national emergency declaration request to President Trump
The commission, led by Chris Christie, was created in March and charged with studying ways to combat and treat drug abuse, addiction and the opioid crisis
Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said he thinks firefighters need standards and protocols to follow when they handle overdoses that may involve highly toxic substances
For opioid toxicity to occur the drug must enter the blood and brain from the environment
“It is the youngest suspected OD we’ve had in the city ever,” Christopher Hickey of Manchester Fire Department said
FireRescue1 looked at Google Trends data to discover which opioids are most often researched.
The law allows nurses to destroy unused prescription medication and increases data sharing between agencies about overdose and abuse
Fire-Rescue International conference speakers discuss the magnitude of the epidemic and the challenges it presents for the fire and EMS service
More than 250 first responder agencies, public health departments and qualifying non-profit community groups across 35 states, have received donated EVZIO Auto-injectors
Officials said the gloves may allow absorption into the person’s tissue, turning the responder into a victim
The current plan is to update training to make sure that first responders are aware of the risks posed by contact with fentanyl
Heroin is costing taxpayers millions of dollars annually
The initiative comes at a time when the county has seen an increase in reported opioid overdoses, with 354 so far in 2017
Jacob Polen said he’s responded to 12 overdose calls over the last year, three of which were fatal
Officials said firefighters responded to 745 calls about drug overdoses in November
The rise of the extremely potent drug is a troubling new reality for a country already reeling from an opioid epidemic
Here’s an overview of what naloxone is and how responders are helping curb the opioid epidemic
Officials said the firefighter-paramedic felt high and experienced respiratory distress after entering a home with suspected fentanyl
At the annual Toughman Competition charity event, rapper DMX thanked police and firefighters for saving his life
Emergency personnel may now carry doses up to four milligrams of naloxone nasal spray
Crews administer Narcan an average of twice a day to bring overdose victims back from the brink of death
Firefighters were recently cleared to administer naloxone before EMS arrives
Previously, only certified paramedics were allowed to administer the life-saving drug in South Carolina
The rationale for firefighters being equipped with the medication was a spike in overdose drug deaths
Chief Robert Cabano found the man not breathing and turning blue; after administering two doses of Narcan, the man woke up and attacked him
One pharmaceutical company is offering a $6 rebate for every naloxone syringe bought by non-federal first-responder agencies
The funding would fight the deadly heroin and prescription narcotic epidemic by focusing on treatment and prevention
Firefighters, EMTs and paramedics have an obligation to respond regardless of their opinions about addiction and Narcan
