SAUGUS — A new bill aimed at protecting first responders from exposure to dangerous drugs like fentanyl is working its way through the State House thanks, in part, to a town resident.
State Rep. RoseLee Vincent filed the bill, which would require first responders to wear protective gear when responding to overdoses, at the request of Larry Joseph, a Saugus resident and retired EMT.
Joseph worked for Action Ambulance in Lynn for nearly two decades before he changed careers. He said employers are not doing their jobs by protecting their employees from exposure to harmful substances.
“Police officers and first responders have enough to worry about – they shouldn’t have to worry about this,” he said. “Especially when one full set of equipment could be only $50 – $75. You’re talking small money to save their lives.”
The proposed legislation was filed in August. In addition to Joseph’s request, an incident in Chelsea during which three police officers were hospitalized after responding to a car crash involving a driver and two passengers who had overdosed on fentanyl was fresh on Vincent’s mind.
The bill would require that all first responders wear protective gear when responding to overdoses, including proper gloves, masks, and safety glasses. Employers of all first responders would be required to provide the gear, and the Department of Public Health would be required to work with such entities to develop appropriate standards for the gear.
“After what happened in Chelsea this past summer, when my constituent asked that I file legislation, it certainly made sense to me that something should be written in statute to protect our first responders who are in the field and on the front lines assisting overdose victims,” said Vincent in a statement. “This bill would ensure that first responders’ safety is taken into account, which would in turn ensure they are able to perform their duties in assisting victims without the horrifying scenario of accidentally overdosing themselves.”
Joseph said he responded to drug-related incidents as an EMT, but they didn’t compare to the overdoses first responders are dealing with today. Exposure to fentanyl is his biggest concern.
“Everything you wear to that exposure has to come off at the end,” he said. “Getting the material on them is a danger. As long as (the person) doesn’t vomit on them or there’s no drug or powder on them then they will probably be OK, but when they’re at a person’s house and the powder is on the kitchen table, for example, and the person is next to the table, they can breathe that in and go into respiratory arrest. That’s basically what happened in Chelsea. The police officers touched the powder and it absorbed through the skin.”
Joseph proposes the use of Tyvek coveralls that would be discarded in a special protective bag immediately after use, in addition to goggles, gloves, and breathing masks.
