SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Emergency Services has announced the addition of Community Paramedics to enhance emergency response capabilities and community health in partnership with the Johnston County Public Health Department.
Funded through opioid settlement funds, this initiative marks a significant step forward in addressing community needs, particularly in response to opioid-related emergencies.
The Community Paramedics will play a crucial role within the Post Overdose Response Team (PORT), responding to both emergent and non-emergent calls. Their mission includes providing immediate medical assistance, connecting individuals with appropriate resources, and delivering follow-up care.
“We are excited to introduce our newest members of our Community Paramedic Program as part of our ongoing commitment to Johnston County’s health and safety,” said Brad Baker, EMS Assistant Chief of Johnston County Emergency Services. “This initiative emphasizes our proactive approach to addressing the opioid crisis by integrating emergency response with community health initiatives.”
In collaboration with the Johnston County Public Health Department, the program aims to reduce the number of opioid overdoses and opioid related deaths in Johnston County. By partnering with local healthcare providers and social services, the Community Paramedics will ensure that individuals affected by substance use disorders receive comprehensive support beyond initial emergencies.
That’s all well and good but I’m sure those people have no experience what it’s like to be on drugs or in those kinds of situations. How can you help someone when you have no understanding?
I must say, that your comment is about as stupid as I’ve heard here.
And that’s saying something!
I don’t need to shoot myself in the foot to know that it is going to hurt. Only shot people know the pain. This is the rationale that you are implying that they will not be effective because they were not addicts. All four of them have years of experience responding to numerous overdose calls. Helping both the patients and their families. They have also received outside training to respond to crisis interventions. I can say this because I know and work with all four of them. Solid medics. So to say they need to be an addict in order to be effective is really kind of silly. They have already made positive impacts to our county long before this program was even implemented. Assets to our community where we all live.