PORTLAND, Ore. — In the past 30 days, Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R)’s new overdose response team — an EMT and paramedic — responded to 90 overdoses downtown. It’s not clear how many of those were deadly.
The pilot program launched 30 days ago, with fire officials hoping it will ease the burden brought by the hundreds of overdose calls they receive every month.
“Fentanyl will kill you. It’s heartless. You never underestimate that drug right there because it’s unpredictable,” said Frank, who is homeless in Southwest Portland.
“Every time I save someone’s life, I tell them, ‘You really want that to be your last breath, man?’” added Jacob, who was smoking fentanyl off foil Friday morning on Southwest Yamhill Street and 11th Avenue.
Portland Fire and Rescue paramedics saved Jacob's life not too long ago after he smoked powdered fentanyl for the first time.
“People told me it’s really strong; be careful. I said, ‘No, I’ll be fine.’ I smoked two big hits of it and woke up with paramedics around me,” Jacob said, who still smokes it despite the near-death experience.
“Not as much, though. I’m very careful with it when I do it,” Jacob added.
“The reality that we are in is tragic,” said Rick Graves of PF&R.
Multnomah County data shows 68 people have died from a suspected or confirmed fentanyl overdose so far this year.
“That’s because people are ignorant and aren’t being careful,” said Jacob.
Of the 90 overdoses PF&R has recently responded to, nearly half were treated on the street instead of the emergency room, freeing up resources.
“Once they address somebody in the street, they establish that relationship, and they follow up 24 hours later … We are doing everything we can to meet the people in the street where they are and provide them a pathway out,” Graves said.