This Fort Walton Beach program helps people who’ve overdosed get the help they need

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. ( WKRG ) — It’s an issue impacting Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties more than anywhere else in the state.

“Our four counties have the No. 1 per capita overdose death rate,” Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Robert Bage said.

That’s why the Fort Walton Beach Police Department has been implementing a new program, the Post Overdose Support Team.

POST consists of law enforcement, EMS and clinicians who check in with people who were revived from an overdose using Narcan or similar medications within 72 hours, getting them the support and resources they need.

“A lot of the research has shown that people are most apt to taking services within that short period of time,” Bage said. “So initially we may have saved your life, now we want to try and save your future and get you out of the cycle of drug addiction.”

Bage said the team works with the person to get them into a program that best fits their needs.

Since launching a pilot program about two weeks ago, the police department is already seeing its impact.

“There’s now been six people that have enrolled in some type of treatment program,” Bage said. “So those are now six people that we think that we hopefully can break the cycle of addiction with.”

Bage said the program will be expanding to the north end of the county next month with the assistance of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.