Scott Allen, Chief of Police
153 Central St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
For Immediate Release
Friday, July 21, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
East Bridgewater Police Turn to Technology for Opioid Epidemic Response
Federal Mobile App Tracks Overdose Trends and Services Rendered in Real Time
EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Scott Allen announced that the East Bridgewater Police Department has begun using an application that provides first responders and public health clinicians real time information about drug overdoses.
Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel who respond to drug overdoses input data in the Overdose Detection Mapping Application, which in turn is available to other law enforcement and health officials. It provides the specific location of a drug incident, how many doses of Narcan were administered and determine if the result was a recovery or fatality.
Confidential patient information is not entered and the data is not available to members of the public.
It was developed by the federal office of National Drug Control Policy High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. The Arlington Police department has been using the app since late June before East Bridgewater Police followed suit, but was first used in the Washington D.C./Baltimore metropolitan region.
The app also allows first responders to note the type of drug used such as fentanyl and carfentanil, which are not only on the rise in causing fatalities but poses a dangerous risk for those coming into contact with the deadly substances.
“It is important to equip our first responders with all available resources to better enable them to save lives,” Chief Allen said. “The Overdose Detection Mapping app is a modern tool that provides a new perspective on the most deadly drug epidemic, and more data can better inform more multifaceted solutions to reduce the serious opioid issue. It also serves as an excellent compliment to the Plymouth County Outreach information sharing system, and we hope that other departments adopt it as well.”
By monitoring information displayed through the app, officials can determine any increases and changes in pattern. Officials can then reevaluate a specific area of town or communities and better anticipate for emergencies, such as a sudden spike or a rise of drug use.
It is predicted that many other agencies will follow suit as part of their response to overdose incidents.
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