First Responders

First Responders

First Responders play a vital role in curbing the opioid epidemic. Often, they are the first on the scene of an overdose and help to provide lifesaving medications (naloxone) to reverse the overdose. In addition, many are also called to respond to a variety of other health or social needs for people who use drugs. The NC DHHS recognizes and values the role that First Responders play in reducing the harms and deaths caused by drug use. 

Communities across the state are coming together to create an effective response to the significant increase in overdose deaths in recent years. Post-overdose response teams (PORTs; also called Quick Response Teams, Rapid Response, Community Response Teams, etc.) are an emerging strategy to meaningfully engage with people who have experienced overdose. These teams follow up with patients who have experienced an overdose within 72 hours. Teams seek to link the patient with appropriate care ranging from harm reduction services to treatment to recovery supports.

In 2019, the NC Office of Emergency Medical Services in partnership with the NC Division of Public Health hosted several regional trainings for post-overdose response team (PORT) development across the state. These PORT Trainings equipped participants to start or continue development of programs in partnership with first responders and harm reductionists. In 2025, we reengaged the partnership between DPH and NCOEMS to host eight trainings across the state for EMS personnel and individuals working on PORTs. The curriculum was guided by the North Carolina PORT Toolkit and included modules on MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder), stigma reduction, harm reduction philosophy, peer support integration and strategies for cross-sector collaboration. Facilitators incorporated current data, case-based discussions and implementation examples tailored to rural North Carolina.

In August 2020, we released a step-by-step toolkit for communities to use to implement a PORT program. All first responders and public safety professionals are highly encouraged to review this toolkit (linked below). This toolkit was updated in 2025 to reflect changes in the field, including prehospital buprenorphine initiation efforts by EMS personnel. 

Post-Overdose Response Team (PORT) Toolkit

Post-Overdose Response Teams (PORT) Overview

To stay updated on potential upcoming trainings, please email BeInjuryFreeNC@dhhs.nc.gov to join our listserv.

Additional Resources

Most recent data available on the NCDHHS IVPB Overdose Epidemic Data webpage.