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Burlington Fire Department tackles opioid use with new initiative

Burlington Fire Department tackles opioid use with new initiative

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Burlington Fire Department is using a unique initiative to combat substance use in the Queen City.

Thanks to the new “PREVENT” initiative, a majority of the department can now administer medication to treat opioid use disorder. BFD says it is the first department in the country to authorize not only paramedics, but also advanced EMTs, to administer buprenorphine after an overdose.

This is a significant expansion in the number of people who can help people when they need it most. BFD says the program provides more life-saving tools and expands care options.

“What this does is instead of just about 22 people in Burlington engaging in this ‘PREVENTION’ initiative where you can give buprenorphine, we have about 70, so it’s a huge increase in engagement,” said Chief Michael LaChance of the Burlington Fire Department. » said the department.

The prevention program also automatically directs people to local recovery programs in the area.