County Police, Fire Stations Combat Heroin and Opioid Crisis

BROOKLYN PARK, MD — Every police and fire station in Anne Arundel County is now a "Safe Station" whose personnel can put heroin and opioid addicts in touch with recovery services. The program was announced Thursday by county and Annapolis city officials at Station 31 in Brooklyn Park.

Effective April 20, each Anne Arundel County and Annapolis City Fire Station, as well as county and city police stations, will be a designated as a safe environment for individuals looking for assistance to start their path to recovery from heroin/opioid addiction.

“We want Anne Arundel County to embrace every strategy possible to overcome addiction to opioids,” said County Executive Steve Schuh. “This program is a new, innovative approach to assuring those in crisis get the treatment they need at the time they need it.”

The county's program launch comes a week after a troubling string of six drug overdoses in 24 hours. Three of the overdose cases were in Glen Burnie, one in Arnold, one in Linthicum, and one in Annapolis, police told Patch. Officers used Naloxone on two victims, while department personnel used it on one victim; the drug can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore breathing.

Most overdoses in the county in the past year have been tied to the use of opioids including heroin, plus prescription drugs methadone, fentanyl, Percocet and OxyContin.

“The Safe Stations Program is an innovative approach to saving lives and getting drugs off our streets," Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides said. "I want to congratulate County Executive Steve Schuh and County Fire Chief Alan Graves for taking the measures necessary to implement Safe Stations in Anne Arundel County. The City of Annapolis is proud to partner in this impressive initiative.”

At any time of day or night that an Anne Arundel County resident who is a heroin/opioid addiction asks for help, they can go to any Anne Arundel County or Annapolis City Fire Station and talk to the personnel on duty, officials said. Working with the Anne Arundel County Police and the Crisis Response Team, addicts seeking help will be assisted in obtaining the necessary detoxification resources.

Upon arrival to a designated Safe Station, the firefighters and paramedics will perform a medical assessment not to exceed their scope of training. If there is cause for concern that there is something else medically wrong with the patient, the person will be taken to an appropriate medical facility. The Crisis Response Warmline will be contacted at 410-768-5522 and told that a Safe Station patient is being taken to the hospital by EMS. The Crisis Response Team will communicate with the hospital staff to ensure a handoff from the medical facility to crisis response.

If no immediate medical issue is identified, the Warmline will be contacted and told there is a Safe Station case. Crisis Response Team will work closely with the individual in the station to determine the best resource and destination available.

Users seeking assistance must drop any needles and paraphernalia into a sharps collection container located at each fire station. If illegal substances are with the individual seeking assistance, the appropriate police agency will be notified for disposal purposes only.

Earlier this month, Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland due to the rise in overdose deaths from heroin, particularly because of fentanyl. “We need to treat this crisis the exact same way we would treat any other state emergency," Hogan said. "This is about taking an all-hands-on-deck approach..."

SEE ALSO:

• Heroin Fatalities Up 185 Percent: Harford Sheriff
• 16 Opioid Overdoses, 3 Deaths In 24 Hours Across Anne Arundel County
• Maryland Opioid Epidemic: New Laws Tackle Addiction
• Heroin and Opioid Crisis Hits Record High in Maryland
• Heroin Crisis: Desperate Families Wonder If Anyone Cares
• Heroin Epidemic Escalates Across Maryland
• 3 Die from Heroin Overdoses in One Day: Harford Sheriff
• $3M Targeted at Fighting Maryland's Heroin Epidemic
• Heroin Addicts Dealt Hope By County Police Chief
• 'I Really Like Getting High': Anne Arundel Heroin User

Two more sessions of Anne Arundel County's "Not My Child" program to discuss the use of drugs by children and adults in every community are planned this month. The focus of this program is to provide the facts of abuse of prescription drugs and the escalation of heroin use in local communities.

The "Not My Child" presentation includes a panel of experts, question and answer from the audience, and treatment providers ready to provide information and referral. Organizers say substance misuse is in every neighborhood, and all communities. Presentations scheduled include:

• April 27, 7 p.m., Corkran Middle School, 7600 Quarterfield Road, Glen Burnie
• April 30, 5:30 p.m., St. Andrews by the Bay Church, 701 College Parkway, Annapolis

Signs of Overdose:

• Person is not responsive.
• Fingertips or lips turn blue or grey.
• Breathing is slow, shallow or has stopped.
• Person is gurgling or making snoring noises.

What can you do if you see an opioid overdose?

• Call 911.
• If you have naloxone, give the person naloxone and perform rescue breathing.
• If no response after 2-3 minutes, give a second dose of naloxone.
• Do not leave the person alone. Help will arrive.
• If the person starts to breathe or becomes more alert, lay the person in the recovery position; put the person slightly on the left side so that their body is supported by a bent knee with their face turned to the side and bottom arm reaching out to stabilize the position.

Remember the Good Samaritan Law – save a life!

• If you provide help or assist a person experiencing a medical emergency due to alcohol or drugs, you are criminally IMMUNE from being charged, arrested and prosecuted from certain crimes. (Ann. Code Md. CR §1-210)
• The police and the courts believe that saving a life is more important than a charge or an arrest.

Where can I get free naloxone training?
On www.aahealth.org, there is a calendar listing all public naloxone training. Naloxone is available from your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacy if you have received the training. Free naloxone training: Save a Life!
How can I lower my risk of overdose?

• Carry naloxone with you at all times and inform others where it is.
• If you haven’t used in a while, start slowly. You are at a high risk for overdose after leaving jail, prison or the hospital or after coming out of treatment.
• Avoid mixing substances.
• Be aware that drugs vary widely in purity and strength.
• Don’t use alone. If you must use alone, let people know where you are, and never the lock the door.
• Check up on each other.
• Seek treatment.

Where can someone get treatment?
Call the Anne Arundel County Substance Use Treatment and Referral Line: 410-222-0117.
If you have any questions, call Sandy O’Neill at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health: 410-222-7165.

Image courtesy of the County Executive