In 2020, Florida’s emergency responders treated nearly 23,124 drug overdoses…. Yet, in 2020, 34,482 people in Florida died from an opioid drug overdose. More lives can be saved through the expanded use of naloxone, a drug that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose.
If you’re one of the heroes who work every day to save lives, you are well-aware of the statewide and nationwide opioid epidemic.
Florida Department of Health (Florida Health) recognizes that many emergency response agencies need assistance obtaining the life-saving drug, naloxone, and that’s where the HEROS program comes in.
HEROS (Helping Emergency Responders Obtain Support) is a Florida Health program that provides free naloxone to emergency response agencies. Since the inception of the program in 2018, over 500,000 doses have been provided through the HEROS program to 385 emergency response agencies in Florida.
If you, or your agency, are interested in obtaining naloxone for the community in general, including the ability to leave behind doses of naloxone, please visit I SAVE FL (Get Help Florida - Overdose Education (isavefl.com)) to browse available resources, (managed by the Florida Department of Children and Families).
HEROS Program Eligibility Requirements:
Eligible applicants are all Florida agencies that employ emergency responders. Emergency responder means a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, a paramedic, a correctional officer, or a correctional probation officer.
(a) “Emergency medical technician” as defined in s. 401.23, F.S.
(b) “Firefighter” as defined in s. 633.102, F.S.
(c) “Law enforcement officer” as defined in s. 943.10, F.S.
(d) “Paramedic” as defined in s. 401.23, F.S.
(e) “Correctional officer” as defined in s. 943.10, F.S.
(f) “Correctional probation officer” as defined in s. 943.10, F.S.
All eligible agencies must have the ability to report naloxone administrations.
