SEATTLE 鈥� In August, Seattle firefighters reached their 100th use of buprenorphine under the fire department鈥檚 pilot program for opioid overdoses and withdrawal.
The city stated in a that the program, which began in early 2024 under Mayor Harrell鈥檚 fentanyl executive order, expanded to allow EMT-Basics to administer buprenorphine, making Seattle the first city in the nation to do so.
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鈥淎s the first city in the nation to operationalize firefighter/EMTs administering buprenorphine in response to the devastating opioid overdose crisis, Seattle is at the forefront of innovative solutions that will save lives,鈥� Mayor Bruce Harrell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to celebrate the 100th administration of this evidence-based program that increases the chances that people recovering from an overdose or suffering withdrawal will say 鈥榶es鈥� to treatment and care. With a new post-overdose center coming online this month and our increased investments in treatment options, we are building a network of support for our family, friends, and neighbors taking the first step on their pathway to recovery.鈥�
Seattle overdose deaths are down 20% from 2024 and 36% from 2023, King County medical examiners report.
Since the pilot began, paramedics have used buprenorphine 48 times and firefighter/EMTs 100 times, covering 148 overdose calls. Some of those patients needed more than one dose.
The department has 54 paramedics and 19 trained firefighter/EMTs, but its Health 99 overdose team now leads field dosing. Crews handle about 63 overdose calls weekly, and Health 99 has answered more than 1,376 since July 2023.
