The City of Seattle isn’t alone. First responders in Madison, Wisconsin have started carrying buprenorphine, too (Image: City of Madison)

The Seattle Fire Department says it is making buprenorphine, a powerful opioid that research shows can help stabilize drug users and provide short-term relief from withdrawal symptoms, available for deployment by all of its emergency crews.

CHS reported here earlier this year on the department’s pilot of the drug with Seattle’s Health 99 overdose response team.

When paired with Narcan’s overdose reversal properties or when administered alone, buprenorphine allows the first responders “to better engage in conversations around treatment, recovery, and social services,” the city said earlier this year.

CHS reported here last year on the rollout of the overdose response team as part of a $27 million investment in treatment and diversion as the city ramped up its crackdown on public drug use. Under the plan brought forward by Harrell, the city said it would put more than $27 million toward enhanced treatment facilities, new addiction services, and improved overdose response for first responders including $7 million in capital investments in facilities to provide services such as post-overdose care, opioid medication delivery, health hub services, long-term care management, and drop-in support.

The city says new efforts like those around buprenorphine must be paired with increased services and facilities. CHS reported here on King County’s plan to open new treatment facilities, and relaunch the Seattle sobering center to take on the soaring fentanyl crisis.

Seattle Fire says it currently has about 35 paramedics trained to administer the medicine and has begun the process of training the firefighter/EMTs who staff the post-overdose response unit Health 99 and Health One units.

The Washington State Department of Health approved the pilot expansion and SFD anticipates around 20 firefighter/EMTs will complete their training in mid-October and be ready to administer the medicine later this month.

SFD says it responds to more than 35 patients per week experiencing an overdose. The department’s post-overdose response unit Health 99 has responded to more than 514 overdoses since it launched.

Hundreds are still dying. 735 people died of drug overdoses in Seattle last year, officials say.

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