Whitehall designs SAFE program for addicts

Whitehall’s overdose rates are five times higher than the Franklin County average, and the city fire department says it’s bolstering efforts to try to save more lives.

On June 11, the Whitehall Division of Fire launched a program that allows addicts to walk into the firehouse at 390 S. Yearling Road any time of the day or night and ask for help. The program is called SAFE ( Stop Addiction From Everyone) Station Program.

Firefighter paramedics conduct physical exams of those who walk in to make sure they aren’t experiencing severe medical conditions that would require sending them to an emergency room, said Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Menapace.

The assessment includes an evaluation of their mental status, vital signs, any underlying medical conditions, and signs and symptoms of withdrawal, Menapace said. If people are stable, they’re sent to the Maryhaven Addiction Stabilization Center for treatment.

So far, 12 people have sought assistance; 11 were taken to Maryhaven, Menapace said.

“As soon as they make that first step to get help, it is crucial to turn them to the correct resources,” he said.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among Americans ages 22 to 50, according to preliminary data compiled by The New York Times.

Overdose deaths in Franklin County totaled 111 during the first three months of the year, a decline of about 13 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017, county Coroner Anahi Ortiz reported Friday. Whitehall was among the five ZIP code areas with the highest number of people who died. Other hard- hit areas include Grove City and neighborhoods on the South and West sides.

Menapace said his department hopes to reduce the city’s overdose rate by 20 percent by 2020.

Menapace said he heard about the SAFE program at a Washington, D. C., conference. Several other states have adopted the program at their fire departments, he said.

“I networked with other firefighters and incorporated their ideas to create a program fit for Franklin County,” he said.

Last June, the Columbus Division of Fire launched a program called Rapid Response Emergency Addiction and Crisis Team ( RREACT) to fight drug overdoses. Paramedics respond to calls about overdoses and travel to their location — as opposed to having people come to them like Whitehall’s program — to see if they want to be transported to Maryhaven for treatment.

“I am very happy to see Whitehall create such a program,” Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said.