Ferndale PD Teams Up With Families Against Narcotics

FERNDALE, MI — The Ferndale Police Department has announced a partnership with Families Against Narcotics and the creation of the FAN COMEBACK Quick Response Team.

The partnership was made possible through a $90,000 federal grant FAN received to assist people struggling with addiction because of Substance Use Disorder or Opioid Use Disorder, according to a news release. The Quick Response Team is a three-member unit consisting of a police officer, a peer recovery coach and a family recovery coach. Within 72 hours of a non-fatal drug overdose, the team “comes back“ to the home where a first responder previously assisted with the life-threatening event.

“We understand that Narcan is a great tool that saves lives, but it can act as a band-aid," Ferndale Police Chief Vincent Palazzolo said. "It’s not a long term fix and we need to be able to get back to these individuals when they have a clear head with a group of professionals that are ready to help and offer services immediately. When the program was presented to us we jumped on the opportunity and are glad to be a part of this.”

The team’s objective is to make contact with the individual who has overdosed as well as their family, according to a news release. The team will offer information, support and assistance in getting recovery services in addition to connecting the person with community resources.

The model has had significant success in other locations, like Huntington, West Virginia, where overdose ambulance runs were reduced by 40 percent in one year, FAN said. The Sterling Heights Police Department, which has been operating FAN COMEBACK QRT since February 2020, has seen more than a 65 percent success rate in connecting individuals and families to treatment and recovery services, FAN said.

Other cities, such as Roseville, Midland and Saginaw in Michigan, launched FAN COMEBACK Teams in August.