Dammeron Valley Fire & Rescue (DVFR) has been awarded supplemental funding under its recently awarded Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Rural EMS Training Grant. The supplemental funding totaling $82,922 is for the purpose of acquiring equipment to be used in the reversal of substance use overdose, as well as to distribute Naloxone across the agency and in the community.
DVFR’s application included a request to purchase a new cardiac monitor/defibrillator to assist in the detection and reversal of cardiac arrest in patients who may have experienced a substance use overdose. “The ability to purchase a new monitor is critical to DVFR’s medical response,” stated DVFR Assistant Chief Colleen Homer. “Grants to fund the purchase of this type of equipment are usually highly competitive, so this supplemental opportunity under our existing award was a rare opportunity to secure this much needed monitor.”
The supplemental funding will also allow DVFR to establish a program to educate the community on the use of Naloxone, which is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to rapidly reverse the effects of opioid overdose. The program will include the distribution of Naloxone to community members, as well as training and information on how to administer the medication. “The opioid crisis continues to affect communities of all sizes across the country, and this funding provides DVFR the opportunity to supplement our response by equipping people in the community with the knowledge and tools to act during a crisis,” said DVFR Public Information Officer Hunter Wolfe.
DVFR’s application included a proposal to collaborate with other agencies and organizations in Washington County to distribute medication, and the education and distribution program will launch in early 2024. Including the supplemental funding, the FY23 Rural EMS Training Grant, which covers 30 September 2023 to 29 September 2024, totals $281,484.