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Calls to 911 reporting overdoses in Multnomah County have risen dramatically in recent months, according to 18 months of call logs obtained by The Lund Report.
WW previously reported the rise in overdose calls as a percentage of total 911 calls, but The Lund Report dives deeper, analyzing where and when those calls occurred. The data shows more than 600 calls in both May and June, nearly double the number from a year ago, and a sharp increase from as early as April, when there were 462 calls.
The driving force behind the rise would appear to be the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is now easily and cheaply available on Portland’s streets. Dozens of the calls were from downtown blocks frequented by fentanyl users and dealers that have been highlighted by WW, including several intersections around Washington Center, the vacant office complex on the corner of Southwest 4th Avenue and Washington Street. The data doesn’t include recent months in which which the market has moved west to 6th Avenue.
Overdose deaths have surged in recent years, although the increasing availability of the overdose-reversal drug Narcan has certainly helped tamp down that number. It’s not uncommon for paramedics to arrive on scene to find the victim already awake after bystanders or police administered Narcan.
Still, the influx of calls has burdened first responders, who are already struggling with short staffing. The county’s ambulance service, American Medical Response, say it can’t find enough paramedics to staff all of its ambulance due to difficulty hiring and retaining employees in Portland.
The result has been slower response times, although the county says there hasn’t been an “adverse effects” on quality of care.