Vancouver Fire gives Narcan to overdose survivors to battle deepening opioid crisis

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With firefighters on the frontlines of the drug crisis, the Vancouver Fire Department is handing Narcan to anyone who has received overdose treatment from first responders.

Firefighters' “leave-behind Narcan program” was set in motion on May 1 and, as of June 14, they had distributed 25 kits of overdose reversal medication.

According to city leaders, the program is part of Vancouver’s commitment to combating the opioid crisis affecting the region.

“The number of emergency medical calls we respond to is skyrocketing with the current opioid crisis,” Emergency Medical Services Division Chief Robb Milano said in a statement. “VFD crews administered Narcan 342 times in 2022 and 583 in 2023. Providing this easy-to-use and reliable kit to those at risk of repeat overdose will undoubtedly help us save more lives.”

Officials reported that firefighters responded to 696 medical calls related to homelessness between January and April of this year. They also reported that 18 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness have died since December, which is a 50% rise from this same time in 2023.

Although not all of the deaths were related to drug use, the city claimed the overdose deaths were a major reason behind the homelessness emergency declaration that went into effect in November.

With funding from the Washington State Department of Health, the new program aims to prevent deaths before first responders arrive on the scene.

Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health has also installed Narcan vending machines throughout the area since November 2022. The organization also received more than $50,000 for the vending machines, as well as its medical supplies and drug prevention training, earlier this spring.

Three of the vending machines are located in Vancouver, with one at the Clark County Jail, one at the Recovery Cafe, and another at the Recovery Resource Center.