Seattle Fire Department Receives Life-Saving Naloxone Donation from HarborPath Nonprofit – Fire Line

SEATTLE (March X, 2023) – HarborPath, a national nonprofit with over a decade of experience in providing free medication to those in need, has donated 1,000 dosages of intramuscular Naloxone to the Seattle Fire Department. The donation, made in partnership with Hikma, will aid first responders in saving lives from the fentanyl and opioid overdose crisis.

Also commonly known as Narcan, Naloxone blocks the opioid effects from the brain, quickly reversing overdoses and saving lives. The Naloxone contribution is part of HarborPath’s initiative to make the life-saving drug available and affordable in communities across the country.

“Naloxone is vital in our treatment of the many patients who find themselves in the grip of the opioid epidemic,” said Shata Stephenson, Acting Deputy Chief of Seattle Fire – Medic One. “Based on the scope of the problem here in the City of Seattle, Seattle Fire Department Firefighter/EMT-Bs have received authorization to deliver Naloxone intramuscularly. This donation is the very medicine we are prioritizing for this life-saving effort.”

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that more than 110,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses in the 12 months ending March 2022. A Washington Post analysis of recent CDC data concluded that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49.

“Across the country, first responders are on the front lines of our nation’s efforts to protect the loss of life from fentanyl and opioid overdoses,” said HarborPath president Ken Trogdon. “We’re incredibly grateful for the efforts of the Seattle Fire Department and countless other public safety agencies that are working to save lives every day. Our society is at its best when we work together and we’re humbled to assist in doing what we can to protect the most vulnerable.

HarborPath aims to build on local efforts with a multi-state approach to deploying Naloxone through nonprofit organizations, county health departments, college and university health centers, and directly to consumers. To learn more about its efforts, visit HarborPath.org/naloxone-program.