Officials hope to counter increased overdose rate in the county
From Steuben County,
A public waterproof outdoor NARCAN® unit is now located at the front of the Addison Volunteer Fire Station – the first in Steuben County – with others scheduled to be installed at the Hammondsport and Caton volunteer fire departments soon.
The life-saving measure in Addison is in place at the station on Tuscarora Street thanks to the efforts of Jaime Dyke of Addiction Awareness of Steuben County and the local fire department, with all three outdoor units funded by the Steuben Prevention Coalition Opioid Committee (SPCOC).
“The overdose rates in Steuben County continue to rise,” said Connie Terry, SPCOC Program Assistant. “The wall units provide easy access to Narcan® and are intended to make it available 24/7 at the time of a life-threatening emergency.”
Terry noted each unit requires community partners willing to monitor the units and contact members of the Opioid Committee for refills. The importance of having the outdoor
wall units available in a rural county the size of Rhode Island cannot be overstated, she said.
“It is imperative that we find a way to reduce the time and distance to EMT/
emergency services,” she said. “Fire departments and police stations have always been places people turn to for help in an emergency. Overdoses can happen any day of the week at any time of the day. Having the emergency wall units and making Narcan® readily available is essential to saving lives.”
Narcan® is considered a “Do No Harm” drug that only works when opioids are present in a person’s system. For example, if someone overdoses on methamphetamine, Narcan will not reverse the overdose and will not further harm the victim in any way.
“As long as someone draws breath, there is hope for recovery,” said SPCOC co-chair Brandon Beuter. “Narcan saves lives.”
Narcan® training is free by and available by contacting Steuben County Public Health Opioid Overdose at https://ny-steubencounty.civicplus.com/696/Opioid-Overdose-
Prevention or by email at connie.terry@dor.org
Many resources are available in Steuben County. For a complete list go to 211 or Steuben County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services at https://www.steubencountyny.gov/189/Alcoholism-Substance-Abuse-Services
