City to Launch Safe Stations Program

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Initiative Aims to Reduce Number of Opioid Related Deaths

NEWPORT, R.I. (Wednesday, June 19, 2019) ­­– In an effort to combat the opioid epidemic, the City of Newport is pleased to announce that it will soon be launching a Safe Stations program. 
 
Beginning later this month, anyone battling addiction will be able to visit any of Newport’s three fire stations to access treatment and recovery services from trusted community partners with no fear of prosecution.
 
In rolling out the program, Fire Chief Brian Dugan notes that each Newport Fire Station will be designated as a safe environment for those seeking assistance to start their path to recovery.
 
“Any time, day or night, when someone struggling with substance abuse or misuse determines that they need help, they’ll be welcome here to speak to a firefighter on duty and begin their path to recovery,” said Dugan. “Our stations will truly be a safe space” 
 
The program, due to launch on June 28^th, follows a nearly year-long planning and training process that engaged a number of community partners, including the twenty members of the Newport Prevention Coalition’s CODE Subcommittee, the Hope Recovery Center, Providence Safe Stations, the RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals and the RI Department of Health.
 
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be partnering with the City of Newport to confront the opioid crisis head on,” said James Day, Newport Prevention Coalition Coordinator, which last year received a grant from the Governor’s Overdose Task Force to develop a plan aimed at preventing opioid overdose deaths in Newport.. “This has been a truly collaborative effort and one which I hope will provide our neighbors experiencing addiction an accessible path to treatment and long-term recovery.”
 
Under the program, anyone suffering from addiction who visits a Safe Station will be assessed medically by firefighters, who will check basic vital signs, dispose of any illegal drugs and paraphernalia and call a team of Certified Peer Recovery Specialists from the Hope Recovery Center to identify appropriate next steps. 

“Hope Recovery Center is excited to work with the Newport Fire Dept. on this innovative project,” said Lori Kosicki, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Supervisor for the Hope Recovery Center. “As we come together to assist members of our community, our hope is to provide 24/7 access to treatment for substance misuse and to support ongoing recovery efforts. The Hope Recovery Center Certified Peer Recovery Specialists are committed to following up, supporting and engaging  with them  throughout their journey."

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, drug overdoses in Rhode Island have been rising in recent years, driven in large part by the rise in potency of illegal opioids.
 
The Safe Stations Program is designed to provide immediate help when someone is ready to take that first step toward recovery, with the motto. “We Are Ready When You Are Ready. 
 
First developed in Nashua and Manchester, N.H. where the opioid crisis was taking a particularly devastating toll, Safe Stations programs have been adopted in communities across the country. In January of last year, Providence became the first community in Rhode Island to implement the program. Newport will be the second. 
 
A formal press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the launch of the program is scheduled for Friday, June 28, 2019 at Fire Department headquarters, located at 21 Marlborough St. at 4 p.m.
 
The launch will also coincide with the Newport County Prevention Coalition’s Prevention Night at the Newport Gulls game scheduled for that evening at 6:30 p.m.
 
Additional information about the Newport’s Safe Station program can be found by visiting the City’s website at www.CityofNewport.com/SafeStation.