Toledo Fire & Rescue Department recognized for it’s ‘Leave It Behind’ Naloxone program

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Naloxone nasal spray (Narcan) is a life-saving measure, given to those experiencing an overdose by paramedics.

Toledo Fire & Rescue implemented a program to give the spray out to those impacted, in 2020. It was part of an Ohio HEALing Communities, study.

Researchers from the study were hired to assist the communities being studied.

One of the senior writers with the study, from the Ohio State University, Jamie Luster, said, “They worked with existing opioid coalitions, prevention task forces, groups like that to really select what strategies were most appropriate for those communities and then implement those strategies.”

That’s how TFRD’s ‘Leave It Behind” program was born.

If EMS is called out for an overdose and that patient doesn’t want to go to the hospital, paramedics will “leave behind” a Naloxone kit.

“If there’s a subsequent overdose they have the ability, or a family member has the ability to deliver the naloxone so they have the ability to live another day,” said Lt. Zakariya Reed, TFRD’s EMS supervisor.

He said the program has seen success over the last four years.

Roughly 850 kits have been given out since 2020.

“That’s 850 people that have benefitted from this program,” Lt. Reed said.

Lt. Reed also said that about 10 percent of the kits given out were used prior to TFRD’s arrival the next time they were called to that patient. Those extra minutes can be crucial.

“The faster they have naloxone that’s blocking that opioid from their system, the better chance they have at survival,” Lt. Reed said.

Lt. Reed said that overdoses and opioid-related deaths have gone down in the last few years.

In 2019, Toledo had 140 fatal overdoses, but that number diminished to 85 so far in 2024.

TFRD is able to gather data on where the kits are administered to pinpoint what they call, “hotspots.” They can share this data with the Lucas County Health Department and the Drug Abuse Response team for more preventative measures.

If you or a loved one in Lucas County need behavioral health services and to get linked to mental health and addiction treatment, call 419-255-3125.

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