New opioid overdose tracking system helps inform Phoenix's response
(Independent Newsmedia/Mark Carlisle)
A Phoenix firefighter demonstrates how to administer the overdose-reversal nasal spray naloxone during a media event at Phoenix’s Burton Barr Central Library when the city’s naloxone distribution program launched in August 2023.
A new online tool is helping city of Phoenix staff track spikes in drug overdoses in the city.
Phoenix’s Opioid Overdose Alert System went into use on May 1. It tracks data from Fire EMS response calls to automatically determine if there is more overdose activity that normal based on historical data for that location and time period.
The Office of Public Health is automatically alerted if there is a spike. That alert is forwarded to response agencies like Phoenix Fire, Phoenix Police and the Office of Homeless Solutions.
It is considered an overdose if Fire EMS administers the overdose-reversing drug naloxone to a patient and they have a positive response.
The data from the online portal will help city staff plan for future interventions, “increasing the likelihood that these programs will be effective,” Public Health Special Projects Administrator Kelli Kostizak told the Community Services and Education Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington, chair of the subcommittee, was glad to see the new tool in use.
“I think it’s an innovative data-driven approach that will help us identify overdose spikes in close to real time and help us respond with the appropriate services and intervention,” she said.
This screenshot shows a spike of 29 opioid-overdose-related calls by Phoenix Fire EMS in the prior 24 hours, along with a map of the overdose locations.
(Courtesy city of Phoenix)
Outreach efforts to areas with an overdose spike will focus on education for available treatment, providing transportation if people are willing and providing naloxone, along with education on its importance and how to use it.
If the alert system detects an area has higher than usual overdose activity, city staff can make sure outreach staff have enough naloxone on hand for increased distribution during the outreach effort. Outreach staff will also share life-saving resources like the Never Use Alone hotline and sharing resources that link people to treatment and mental health care.
The online portal is only available for staff from select city departments to view, including Police, Fire, Homeless Solutions and the Community Assistance Program.
Kostizak said her team wants to make the portal available to as many external experts as feasibly possible so they can receive alerts about overdose spikes and launch response plans accordingly.
“This will ultimately allow us to create a network working together to combat the overdose crisis, as informed by the most up-to-date and cutting-edge data,” Kostizak said.
Hodge Washington agreed, saying that public health challenges require “collaboration and coordination.”
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Mark Carlisle joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, covering Glendale. He has since moved to the Daily Independent team, primarily covering the city of Phoenix along with other topics affecting the Valley at-large.
Community: Mark enjoys taking his two young sons to parks, the Phoenix Zoo, the Phoenix Public Library and other fun events around the Valley. He also participates in a local book club.
Education: Chapman University with a BA in English Journalism and one in Screenwriting.
Random Fact: Mark worked at a tuxedo shop in college. Just don’t ask him to tie a bowtie.
Hobbies: Spending time with his wife, sons and dog, watching sports and TV shows, listening to audiobooks and occasionally writing fiction or designing a board game.
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