MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) distributed HOPE Kits on Monday to help prevent accidental overdoses in the city.
MFD distributed the kits out of Station #26 on the corner of Scott and 26th in Milwaukee.
The lifesaving tool kits include a two-pack of Narcan nasal spray with an instruction card, one single-use CPR face shield, two fentanyl test strips, and harm reduction, treatment, and community resource information cards.
Fentanyl test strips detect the presence of fentanyl in powders or injectables and can help prevent accidental overdoses. They were previously classified as drug paraphernalia under state law.
WATCH:
MFD MORI teams have been distributing HOPE Kits since November. All MFD engines, trucks, and MED units now carry the kits as well.
"The importance of the accessibility of this kit cannot be overstated. Keeping victims of opioid and other substance use disorders alive in order to provide them additional supportive and medically assisted recovery treatment is key. With overdose deaths far surpassing other non-natural causes of death throughout the City of Milwaukee, these kits offer life-sustaining hope," MFD said in a statement.
In 2021, more than 500 overdose deaths were linked to fentanyl in Milwaukee County, according to a news release.
