New alley signs aimed to help cut down 911 overdose response times in Vancouver
Posted September 6, 2018 4:26 pm.
Last Updated September 8, 2018 3:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – When responding to an opioid overdose, time is of the essence, which is why the City of Vancouver has launched a new initiative hoping to cut down 911 response times.
The city has put up signs in some of the city’s alleys that display a name and a number so that people calling first responders can identify the exact location more quickly.
RELATED:https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2018/01/31/little-hope-frontline-workers-ahead-latest-overdose-death-numbers/2017 deadliest year for overdoses in B.C.
“It helps passersby to identify the exact location where the overdose has occurred,” Vancouver Fire Operations Chief Kevin Wilson says. “So by identifying the correct location, we can get our first responders there faster and more efficiently.”
He says a number of overdoses occur in alleys or laneways which are sometimes difficult to get to.
“We’re frequently getting duplicate calls and sometimes is the same call but to incorrect north or south ally, so this just helps identify the laneway, the alleyways,” Wilson adds.
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Wilson says new signage is just the latest step involved with fighting the opioid crisis.
So far crews have seen successful results, Wilson adds.
