Weymouth firefighters make over 115 saves since launching Narcan two years ago

Weymouth, MA – March 24, 2015 – Since March of 2013, Weymouth firefighters have saved, on average, more than one person a week by successfully using naloxone nasal spray, better known as Narcan, to revive people suffering life-threatening effects from an opioid overdose.  The total comes to 118 life-saving reversals over the past two years, not counting those performed by private ambulances.  Firefighters say the medication has been indispensable in helping victims in crisis.

“Narcan has proven its importance time and time again,” says Weymouth Fire Chief, Keith Stark. “This medication saves lives, and that’s what we’re in the business of doing.”

Back in 2013, the Weymouth Fire Department was one of the first municipal agencies in the state to carry Narcan under a pilot program administered by the Department of Public Health (DPH). Weymouth firefighter union members were the first advocates for the medication. “Our frontline first responders, including many EMTs and paramedics, recognized the severity and frequency of the overdose problem,” says Brad Flannery, Weymouth firefighter, paramedic and Local 1616 Narcan Committee Chairman.  “Our members reached out to the DPH and lobbied for inclusion into the pilot program.  We couldn’t stand by and watch people die when there was something we could do to help.” 

The results of the Narcan program in Weymouth are dramatic.  The DPH reports that Weymouth averaged over 11 unintentional opioid overdose deaths each year between 2009 and 2012.  Since firefighters began carrying Narcan in March of 2013, there have been only five confirmed deaths and five unknown outcomes in the Department’s two years of cases in which Narcan was administered.  All other cases resulted in the overdose victim’s survival.  These cases do not include incidents in which private ambulances administered Narcan nor do they count fatal overdoses occurring outside of Weymouth but still involving residents.  DPH data on opioid overdose deaths by municipality are not yet available for 2013. 

Narcan is now carried by all first responders of Weymouth thanks to an agreement made between the Town’s Police and Fire Departments and the South Shore Hospital.  The expansion represents a shared commitment among Town leaders, first responders, and community organizations to protect Weymouth’s families from the loss of loved ones due to opioid addiction.

According to Weymouth’s Drug Free Community Coordinator, Lyn Frano, opioid addiction often begins when someone is prescribed a medication like Percocet® or OxyContin® to manage pain after an injury or surgery.  “Opiate drugs can provide important relief for patients when used short term,” explains Frano, “but when these powerful drugs are overused or get into the hands of young people and healthy adults, the consequences can be devastating for those who become addicted and their families.” 

In Massachusetts, the number of unintentional overdose deaths rose 46 percent between 2012 and 2013.  County-level data highlights “concerning” trends in the prescribing of painkillers, including the number of individuals who receive opioid prescriptions from different prescribers or fill those prescriptions at different pharmacies.  These trends were found to be most prevalent in Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable counties, according to an official press release from the Governor’s Office.  The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that approximately four out of five people who began using heroin in the past 12 months had previously abused prescription pain medication.    

Hoping to prevent the need for Narcan, Weymouth firefighters and Town officials continue to work with local partners, regional tasks forces and state agencies to create a safer community.  Frano has developed an array of educational resources to raise public awareness and reduce the rate of addiction.  Through a series of drug take-back days and mailing campaigns, the Town has urged households to go through their medicine cabinets and responsibly discard extra prescription pain medicines.  Weymouth police also maintain a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week prescription drug take-back and disposal kiosk. 

The Family Addiction Support Team (FAST) is Weymouth’s most comprehensive help resource for opioid addiction.  FAST provides residents with a one-stop shop for addiction help services.  The team’s work focuses on education, early intervention, overdose prevention, treatment, and relapse prevention.  It features a website and info-line where people can reach out for confidential help.  FAST is supported by a start-up grant from the South Shore Hospital and is a partnership of the Weymouth Fire and Health Departments and four community organizations - AdCare Hospital, Learn to Cope, Manet Community Health Center, and South Bay Mental Health.

For more information about this announcement, please contact Brad Flannery at (781) 337-5151.