Wal-Mart Grant Helps Mass. Responders

April 13--METHUEN -- When people think of the equipment fire departments use to fight the heroin epidemic, they often think of Narcan, the drug that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.

But there are other tools firefighters use when confronted with an overdose situation, from ventilators to suction equipment that can help clear airways. That equipment often isn't reusable, though, and as the heroin crisis continues, fire departments have to replenish their supplies, said Methuen Assistant Fire Chief Bill Barry.

The Methuen Fire Department recently received a $2,500 grant from Wal-Mart to help them restock that equipment, as well as purchase command equipment for firefighters to use at fire scenes, Barry said.

"Wal-Mart does public safety grants and I was going to use it to buy some different equipment that we needed," Barry said.

The company, he said, "is a great neighbor to have in town."

In the approximately two years that Barry has been in the assistant chief's role, he said it seems like calls for drug overdoses have been "constant."

"I think there's an increase in the amount of calls that are related to heroin for sure," he said. "Our ambulances are certainly responding to what seems to be a higher number of calls."

Along with using Narcan, a brand name for nasal naloxone, Barry said his department will use ventilators and suction tanks with to assist patients with breathing and to help remove anything blocking an airway.

While Barry said it seems like the fire department's use of Narcan has "dropped a little bit" so far this year, he said he's seen an uptick in the other types of equipment being used on calls, which haven't ebbed. He said the fire department has responded to about 20 or more overdose calls already this year, and the Methuen Police Department said it's seen 25 overdoses and four drug-related deaths so far this year.

"It's just a sad thing," Barry said of the heroin epidemic. "It breaks your heart in this job when you go to these calls, it really does."

Along with replenishing medical equipment, Barry said he's also using the grant to purchase new "command boards," for use during fires.

Command boards, or accountability boards, look like tables that fold out into whiteboards that firefighters set up at fire scenes to help keep track of people and equipment.

"Some use markers, some use magnets. We're looking at different ones we'd like to have," Barry said.

Knowing where people are during a fire is essential, he said. In the past two years, the department has had two "mayday" calls with firefighters falling through floors. One of which was at the Ashton Arms apartment building fire shortly before Christmas, where a firefighter became wedged into the floor. He managed to crawl out of the hole and was helped to safety by another firefighter.

Increased accountability makes everyone safer, Barry said.

"It makes it easier for us to find people and also protects property. We can put fires out faster if we have efficient allocation of apparatus and crews," he said.

Follow Lisa Kashinsky on Twitter @lisakash23.

___ (c)2017 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) Visit The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) at www.eagletribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.