CINCINNATI — The city manager wants a new ordinance that allows staff to accept a $500,000 donation that could buy relief for the Cincinnati Fire Department.
Ambulance runs to help people overdosing on drugs beg for a breakthrough. The number of 911 calls for overdoses hit a 13-month low, 139, in Hamilton County in December, according to county stats. It is trending down too. Even with a coalition and partners running programs to help patients conquer addictions, troubling cycles remain.
"If we're not getting people into treatment then we are finding people continuously entering the cycle of overdose and continuously needing those services," Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH) Commissioner Greg Kesterman said.
His staff tracked overdose statistics well enough to earn one of 66 Centers for Disease Control "Overdose Data to Action" grants awarded to 66 health departments across the country. The goal is to calm an epidemic killing tens of thousands in America.
Last summer, HCPH donated $100,000 to the City of Cincinnati's Fire Department to start a pilot program to beef up overdose response. HCPH donated another $500,000 this month.
The money allows CFD to hire as many social workers and case managers as the department wants. Those new hires will ride with crews on overdose calls. While paramedics work to keep patients alive, social workers will be there trying to end addictions by connecting patients with overnight treatment and ongoing care.
"Fire departments, particularly the City of Cincinnati, they see all kinds of overdoses and have very good awareness of the people that need help and this will make sure that they get connected to care," Kesterman said.
City council members recommended the ordinance proposed by city staff to accept the donation be discussed by the council's finance committee. If the program is successful, HCPH plans to bring similar efforts to all 48 county jurisdictions, Kesterman said.
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