TAMPA, Fla. — Police officers and firefighters are often the first to respond to drug overdose calls, and when they get on the scene, the pressure is on to revive the person in need of help.
“I was addicted to opiates – an IV heroin user – for the better part of 17 years,” said Cesar Rodriguez, who has been in long-term recovery for eight and a half years.
He’s doing his part in the community by simply being open about his story of recovery. “The law enforcement community that I used to be so afraid of, I get to be an asset to today. So, the turnaround is truly a blessing,” he continued.
He personally knows how important it is for first responders to be able to react when someone is overdosing. “I feel very blessed that the first responders that met me on the scene were skilled and able to administer the Narcan and that I was able to be saved,” said Rodriguez.
Naloxone hydrochloride, known as Narcan, is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Rodriguez said first responders revived him five times using the medication, and it has saved countless others right here in Tampa Bay.
“Our agency made a decision to move from the 4 mg Naloxone to the 8 mg,” Capt. Toni Roach with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. She told me deputies have been carrying Narcan on them since 2018, but since the rise of fentanyl, they’ve had to carry a more potent dose of the lifesaving drug.
Every day, the 911 line in Tampa Bay receives 34 emergency calls that lead to successful overdose reversals. That means more than 12,000 people a year are given a second chance at life and recovery.
Capt. Roach said even though they’ve been making strides in responding better to overdose calls, more can be done to ensure people are put on the path to recovery.
“I think that there are opportunities in our community to improve transitional housing, sober living, residential treatment, having people get them out of their environment into some place that’s safe where they can learn how to do life over again substance-free,” continued Capt. Roach.
On Tuesday, about 250 first responders attended the annual “Law Enforcement and First Responders Summit” in Tampa. It was aimed at training and sharing best practices with agencies across the state on responding to overdose calls. The focus of the summit was on our area’s fentanyl crisis and what’s being done to combat fentanyl overdoses, as more than 5,300 people lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2021.
Florida Drug Czar, Doug Simon, told me we’re seeing more overdose deaths than in years prior. “The increases are due to the traffic of fentanyl to the state of Florida,” said Simon.
A pilot program called “Coordinated Opioid Recovery” was recently launched to help those who have been hospitalized for drug addiction to give them the support they need after they’re discharged.
“Once they’re stabilized, then there’s a team of counselors and peer specialists in the hospital to work with them on their recovery efforts to try to get them into treatment and if they agree once they’re stabilized, we will simply walk across the street to the treatment center,” said Simon.
The program is operating in 12 counties, including Pasco, Manatee and Pinellas.
If you or someone you know is living with addiction, here are some resources.
Central Florida Behavioral Health Network Inc. Cfbhn.org (813) 740 – 4821
Clean Recovery Centers Cleanrecoverycenters.com (813) 743 – 3191
Harmony Hills Behavioral Health Primary Mental Health Facility (321) 384 – 9977
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay 1 Crisis Center Plaza, Tampa, FL 33613 (813) 964 – 1964
The Hope Shot - For inspirational stories of overcoming addiction
Alliance for Community Help - For help or to donate
