Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department will use the awarded resources to purchase life-saving naloxone for the Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods Project. The naloxone is a vital piece in the city’s ongoing, comprehensive plan for prevention, interdiction, rescue, and recovery of overdoses related to heroin and opioids. The city’s size, high rates of abuse, and existing recovery infrastructure will result in substantial returns on this investment. As part of Mayor Curry’s citywide initiatives for safe and healthy neighborhoods to be supported by data-driven, successful programs, the Jacksonville City Council has enacted a pilot program to connect patients and families with treatment and recovery services while reducing recidivism rates and deaths. Through an emergency investment of over $1.4 million, the City of Jacksonville is partnering with local emergency departments and treatment facilities to provide inpatient and outpatient services for overdose victims. The naloxone requested in this funding opportunity is necessary for our first responders to keep these victims alive for recovery. Community members are also contributing as local non-profit, Drug-Free Duval’s North Florida Opioid and Heroin Task Force launched its campaigns earlier this year to begin to provide communitywide collaboration for prevention and education. JFRD has the overwhelming task of providing rescue services to the largest city in the contiguous forty-eight states. Covering 841 square miles of urban, suburban, rural, river and beach, the JFRD service area is just as diverse as the population. To ensure the best service to all parts of Duval County, the city and JFRD have transformed all of their response vehicles to Advanced Life Support status. The majority of funds in this grant opportunity will be used to secure 2mg/mL syringes of naloxone for distribution to JRFD rescue teams. As this program proceeds, recidivism and death rates will fall while rescuers improve effectiveness and efficiency in delivering naloxone. The devastating effects of this epidemic on the Jacksonville community are comparable to the worst in the nation. With our rescue teams responding to an average of two calls per hour for suspected overdoses, Duval County’s rates of abuse are among the highest in the country. JFRD estimates over 4,000 incidents of suspected overdose per year, and, over the next four years, administering almost 17,000 doses of naloxone for incidents across the Duval County service area. The community requires a significant investment in naloxone to reverse these overdoses so that victims can participate in recovery. Jacksonville is resolved to overcome this health crisis. The people are in place; the foundation is set. The funding from this project will provide the resources to activate the city’s comprehensive plan to combat this epidemic.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
