Crime & Safety
East Providence To Offer 'Safe Stations' For Struggling Addicts
All four of the city's fire station have become safe places for people to get help with substance use disorder.
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — The City of East Providence Fire Department and East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) have launched a program called "Safe Stations" to help people who are struggling with substance use disorder.
Under the new program, all four of the city's fire stations have become safe places for people to enter and get help with addiction.
“One of our Safe Stations may very well be a lifeline for someone battling an addiction to get the treatment, support and services they so desperately need,” said Mayor Bob DaSilva in a statement. “We are proud to partner with EBCAP to provide people the first step to treatment and recovery.”
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The program gives people a place to go at all times and also offers support to families and friends who have a loved one struggling with substance abuse. When someone comes in seeking help, fire officials will contact the on-call Recovery Center staff and a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist will arrive at the station to talk with the person and provide supports.
“If they want to receive medication-assisted treatment, we can arrange for an intake with induction of medication to happen within 24 hours at the EBCAP Suboxone Program,” EBCAP East Bay Recovery Center Director Thomas Joyce said. “If they want to engage in treatment or they want to become involved in the Recovery Center, we’ll arrange that too."
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“If they aren’t ready for any of that, we’ll listen and offer to stay connected so we can support them should they change their mind or need additional assistance in the future,” he continued.
The launch of the Safe Stations program comes during a rise in accidental fatal overdoses in Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), accidental drug overdose deaths increased by 25 percent from 2019 to 2020. This increase could be due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an influx of counterfeit substances that are laced with Fentanyl.
For more information on the Safe Stations program, call 401-302-6231.
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