TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Fire Department is making harm reduction kits more available.
The kits are stored in boxes outside select fire stations, available for public access 24/7. These free kits include NARCAN, fentanyl test strips, and QR codes directing to community resources.
“We know that we’re responding to at least 8 to 10 overdoses a day, in the city of Tulsa. Not all through illegal substances, but people are affected by this,” said Justin Lemery, Director of Emergency and Medical Services at TFD.
These boxes are slated at four specific stations, chosen due to their proximity to areas with the highest opioid overdoses.
- Station #5: 102 E. 18th Street
- Station #10: 508 E. Pine Street
- Station #17: 1351 N. Sheridan Road
- Station #22: 1303 E. 15th Street
"We're putting these in areas where we know we've had a lot of overdose-related deaths in. So we wanna make that accessible, to try to save a life," Lemery added.
Lemery said TFD believes the harm reduction approach saves lives. "That's something that we've very supportive of. If we have a way to save someone's life, we want to be a part of that."
- Related story >>> Tulsa Fire Department launches new mobile response unit for downtown
Partnering in this initiative is Grand Mental Health. Their Chief Administrative Officer, Jeff Harlin, spoke about another substance concern in the city.
“Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to stop people from using drugs. Our goal is to get them into treatment, if they’re willing. But if they’re not, we want them to be able to test the methamphetamine to make sure there’s not fentanyl in them. So having those fentanyl test strips is extremely important.”
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