The number of opioid-related deaths in Minnesota has more than quadrupled since 2019, so the state's Fire Department has developed a novel strategy to address the problem.
The Twin Cities Recovery Project's "Safe Station" in Fire House 14 on Lowry Avenue in north Minneapolis has a 24-hour drop-in center for detoxification and treatment. First responders have seen firsthand how badly the opioid crisis has affected Lowry Avenue. Overdose calls, according to Minneapolis' deputy chief, account for 70% of what her teams perform.
The official said that the fire department attends the rescue calls several times a day for such drug-related emergencies. This has been happening for years now, which has made it a nationwide epidemic. It was important for us to partner with Twin Cities Recovery Project as we received more than 30 calls per week about these cases. People can come to the fire department for safety in such cases, which has eased the process of dealing with the opioid crisis.
A three-year, $1.2 million grant from the US Department of Justice will pay for this program's expenses. It strives to make the procedure simple, quick, and easy. To lessen the devastation that opioids are causing to individuals in the city, state, and nation, it is important to be prepared with life-saving medication and life-saving knowledge.
Peer counselors are on call twenty-four hours a day at Fire House 14. Since 2016, the Minneapolis Fire Department has begun moving and using Narcan. The Safe Station also offers Narcan training.
