Spike Auto Text Program
Community members can sign up for the Spike Auto Text program, which alerts community members, professionals, and loved ones via text when there is an increase in overdoses. Individuals can sign up for the anonymous pilot program by texting SPIKE to 1(855)963-5669 (855-9-OD-KNOW) and follow the prompts.
2024 | ||||||||||||
Month | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Suspected Fatal Overdoses | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||
Suspected Non-Fatal Overdoses | 16 | 19 | 28 | 18 | 26 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 15 |
Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Suspected Fatal Overdoses | 76 | 66 | 32 | 37 | 39 | 54 | 80 | 67 |
Suspected Non-Fatal Overdoses | 516 | 468 | 359 |
Education/ Public Information Messaging
The Broome County Health Department will work with the New York State Department of Health of on any trainings, education, or information that is available for the public. BCHD will work with media partners including print, television and radio on PSA and messaging in the community. Social media and listservs will be used to disseminate information about trainings, treatment providers and where to go for help. The Health Department will use the 211 service and make sure they have updated information about services available in the community. They will also work with treatment providers, grass roots organizations and members of BOAC as needed to share and disseminate pertinent information.
The Broome County Office of Emergency Services Coordinated the county’s multi-departmental response to the crisis, including meetings, monitoring, logistics/resources, inter-governmental collaboration, notifications and other critical communications. OES also facilitated necessary reporting to New York State government, including initial SOE declaration and orders, situation reports, updates, and renewals of emergency orders. Finally, they provided crisis-specific briefings and updates to Emergency Medical Services agencies, particularly regarding enhanced communication requirements with other agencies. Going forward, OES will serve as the primary alerting/notification agency for members of the team in the event that its spike criteria are met.
Harm Reduction
Strategies that target harm reduction messaging and education will be utilized by working with grassroots organizations and community organizations who focus on harm reduction such as; Truth Pharm & Southern Tier AIDS and through New York State department of Health. The Health Department will do this by obtaining Narcan kits as needed, hosting emergency Narcan trainings and educating the public on harm reduction strategies. The Broome County Office of Emergency Services also provided and is providing training in overdose recognition and response to additional county employees, as well as providing additional naloxone kits.
Peer Counselors have reached out to active users to offer treatment options which includes people who have recently overdosed or are facing a drug related charge. The Drug Court Team, Treatment Alternative to Prosecution program, and ACBC have met with participants to warn them of the current risks and to counsel them about seeking help, especially those who may have friends that recently died from a fentanyl overdose.
Law Enforcement
In fatal and non-fatal overdose cases, drugs found at the scene are being sent to a specialized lab for expedited testing so that the specific type of drugs involved can be identified scientifically, which will help track the deadly drugs and help identify the source of the supply. In addition, in all fatal overdose cases, toxicology is also being sent to the lab on an expedited basis for testing with result available within two weeks -- which previously took up to a year.
Police are treating overdose scenes as crime scenes and the DA’s office is assisting in investigations by gathering additional evidence to help identify the source of the supply.
Uniform and detailed reporting procedures have been adopted, and a countywide reporting form is being used by all agencies. The new procedures will assist police and prosecution in efforts to prosecute dangerous drug dealers for selling drugs mixed with fentanyl.
There is an increased priority for prosecuting (and investigating) fentanyl drug dealers.
Additional police resources have been provided the New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies for random Drugged Driver Checkpoints, intended to locate drugged drivers and those transporting narcotics throughout Broome County.
Funding has been offered through STOP-DWI and the DA’s office for Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training for local police to increase their ability to identify drugged drivers.
Funding has also been secured by the DA’s office for training Drug Recognition Experts who are needed to arrest and prosecute drugged drivers.
Additional confidential strategies are being developed and implemented to prevent the flow of illegal drugs into Broome County.
Treatment Providers and Resource Guide for Broome County
The Broome Opioid Awareness Council (BOAC) focuses on identifying barriers and developing solutions to help those with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) in our community including but not limited to prescription drugs and opioid misuse. This council will work as a coalition together with community agencies to ensure we are increasing community collaboration in an effort to decrease barriers of those with SUD, reduce youth and resulting adult substance use and the impact on the community. BOAC will focus on: community partnerships, education; outreach and prevention; law enforcement response; substance use disorder treatment; and educating medical professionals. BOAC seeks to: target factors existing in our community that place community members and our youth at risk for substance use; reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors; increase community collaboration and awareness; and create a healthier and safer community for all.
Click HERE to learn more about the dangers of prescription opioids.
Call now for help: 607.762.2257 or 607.778.2812
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You can call the drug crisis line (UHS/New Horizons) at 607.762.2257 to speak to a local treatment professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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The Broome County Sheriff Office's Assisted Recovery Initiative assists individuals suffering from substance use disorder who are voluntarily seeking treatment. You can call 607.778.1911, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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The Broome County District Attorney's Office has launched Operation S.A.F.E. (Save Addicts from Epidemic). Addicts or their family members are encouraged to call Broome County’s S.A.F.E Line at 607.778.6119. A volunteer will then take their information and immediately begin searching the network of quality treatment facilities accepting new patients.
Medication Drop Box Locations in Broome County