MEDIA CONTACTS

Tanisha Jumper, Media and Communications, tjumper@ci.tacoma.wa.us, (253) 591-5152

Megan Snow, Media and Communications, msnow@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5051

Tacoma Fire Department Launches Safe Station Program 

The City of Tacoma Fire Department launched the first Safe Station program in Washington State today. 

“This is a monumental day for our community,” Deputy Mayor Conor McCarthy said. “Today we join 39 other cities across the country in deploying a program to address opioid use disorder and taking action to end the heartbreak, suffering and damage opioids cause to individuals, families and the community as a whole. We know we must be ready to help individuals who ask for help as rapidly as possible and connect them with services, and the Safe Station program is designed to do that.”

The Safe Station program is located at Fire Station 1 (901 Fawcett Avenue) and will be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week for residents of Tacoma, Fife, and Fircrest who are seeking help on their journey to healing and recovery.

“First responders are on the frontlines in addressing the opioid epidemic,” said Tacoma Fire Chief Tory Green. “We see the impacts opioid use disorder is having on people and their families, and we are committed to finding innovative ways to offer aid.”

There are no costs to the individual for using the Safe Station services that include medical assessment, transportation to a medical facility, as needed, addiction treatment assessment for outpatient services, first medication for opioid use disorder, as needed and connection to long-term treatment services.

Tacoma Fire’s program is modeled after a similar fire department-based program in Manchester, New Hampshire.

More information about the City’s Opioid Response Plane is available at cityoftacoma.org/opioid. 

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