First responders at West End Ambulance in Johnstown said the moment someone first wakes up after they’re saved from a drug overdose, is when they’re most vulnerable.
That’s why first responders want to hand out blue “One Breath from Death” cards to the people they revive with Narcan, explaining how close to death they were.
“Today you were one breath from death due to a drug overdose. The color of the card, which is blue– people when they’re deprived of oxygen get a blue-ish cast. The color of the card shows the color you were that we found you,” said West End Ambulance Manager Ira Hart.
The cards ask overdose survivors to fill out the back with their name and emergency contact information because next time, first responders might not make it in time.
The cards initially had a blank space where people could list which funeral home they should be taken to. After some negative feedback that the cards were shaming drug users, West End made some adjustments. Now, the cards will feature helpline numbers and websites that drug users can turn to for treatment.
“It’s a gentle reminder that, OK, they had to come once before to revive me because I was that close to death. Here’s the numbers. I’m going to make that call,” Hart said.
The hope is that overdose survivors will keep the card in their pocket and think twice before using again. But, first responders said they’re frustrated by the opioid epidemic because a near-death experience sometimes isn’t enough.
Michael Kelly, a West End paramedic, said the cards are meant to be a wake up call.
“This is not to shame anybody, it’s to hopefully bring them back to reality that they could lose their life and then their loves ones would have to deal with their loss,” said Kelly.
The cards have caught the attention of other first responders across the country. Hart said he’s been contacted by paramedics in New Jersey and even California, asking to use the cards too.
“It’s just a very small step in this large epidemic. So if we can do something or anything and it saves just one person, then it’s well worth it,” Hart said.