Learn About Treatment    |    Training Videos    >    What’s the Latest? EMS-Initiated Buprenorphine

Presenter(s): City of Port Angeles Fire Department: Brian Gerdes (Paramedic) and Heather Whitmore, EMT; South County Fire in Snohomish County: Keith Sharp (CRP Captain, EMT) and Nicole Picknell (Community Paramedic Captain, Paramedic)
Date: June 2025

Facilitators: Chris Buresh, MD, MPH Maureen Oscadal, MPH, BSN, RN

The session featured a panel discussion with fire fighters/paramedics from the City of Port Angeles Fire Department and South County Fire in Snohomish County. They shared their experiences and lessons learned from implementing buprenorphine initiations following overdose in the field in both urban and rural areas.

Topics included in the discussion:

• Challenges and successes in providing buprenorphine during emergency responses.
• Strategies for improving post-overdose care and connecting patients to ongoing services.
• The role of first responders in expanding access to MOUD and reducing overdose deaths.

Related topics (find more videos like this one):