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to them. The fact that first responders are working in an uncontrolled environment, such as on the street, means many different variables are involved. First responders report that they often already know who the patient is going to be when they arrive at the scene of an opioid-related incident. They are often familiar because the individual has already been the victim of overdose in the past. Also important to keep in mind is that response time is critical in opioid overdose cases. Every time an ambulance has to respond to an opioid overdose, first responders pose a danger to the general public because they must arrive on the scene quickly. Ambulances moving quickly through intersections are at higher risk for vehicle and pedestrian accidents. As a result, local first responder organizations have to assess the best ways to manage their time while getting to the scene of an incident. A common issue among first responders is compassion fatigue . Compassion fatigue often results from repeated exposure to the effects of crisis, often leading to burnout. First responders contend with exhaustion, overwhelming feelings, changes in perceptions of safety, traumatic memories, doubts about their own work, anxiety, and even the possibility of disconnecting from reality. The Role of ER Doctors in the Opioid Crisis In years past, emergency room doctors have been given a bad wrap for allegedly causing the opioid epidemic by prescribing opioids for patient injuries. The truth is that the rate of opioid prescriptions varies wildly across emergency rooms, and also that heavy opioid users are more likely to receive prescriptions from primary care doctors rather than professionals in the emergency room.

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What Do First Responders and ER Doctors Do?