Fall River Fire Department announces first Safe Station program in the state

The Fall River Fire Department announced this week the recent implementation of the “Fall River Safe Station” Project.

The Safe Stations project is the result of a collaboration between the Fall River Fire Department and other community stake-holders, with the goal of providing proactive intervention for community members who need and want help with a substance use problem. In partnership with Stepping Stone (Peer2Peer), Stanley Street Treatment and Rehabilitation (SSTAR), Boston Medical Center with Bay Cove Human Services, and St. Anne’s Hospital, the men and women of the Fall River Fire Department are able to welcome members of the community seeking assistance with a substance-use problem at any of the Cities’ six fire stations. After a brief screening exam, community members will be connected with a recovery professional who can assist them in beginning their personal road to recovery. Currently, the program is operational at each of the cities’ fire stations, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

“As an organization, we are always pursuing new ways to proactively serve our community,” said Lieutenant William Lonardo of the Fall River Fire Department. “We see this project as an investment in the health and well-being of the community and its citizens.”

The initiative for the Safe Stations program came from the FRFD’s desire to be part of a community-oriented solution to Fall River’s opiate crisis.