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By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Sheriff’s department wants to make contact with residents who overdose within 24 hours.

A new quick response team – comprised of deputy sheriffs, emergency medical services representatives and addiction treatment counselors – will help make that a reality.

The Mahoning County commissioners voted Tuesday to apply for a two-year $150,000 grant from the state Attorney General’s office to help supplement the costs of implementing the team.

The grant requires the team makes contact within 72 hours. Sheriff Jerry Greene said his goal is 24 hours.

“Out of all the things we’ve done with the opioid epidemic, I actually think this is going to be one of the most effective,” Greene said.

Duane Piccirilli, executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said the county modeled the program after a similar effort in Hamilton County. That program resulted in 80 percent of people who overdosed entering treatment.

“We’re pretty excited about the whole thing,” Piccirilli said. “We’re thinking we’re going to see a reduction in using Narcan (naloxone opiod antidote) a second time.”

Capt. Steve Szekely, a deputy sheriff and chief of the county’s hazardous materials team, will lead the group that is expected to be operational in about a month.

Meridian HealthCare will provide addiction treatment counselors. Alki Santamas, director of criminal justice services for Meridian, said it will counsel families and help connect them to the services they need. The counselors will be in the sheriff’s department, ready to go at a moment’s notice.

The goal is to break the cycle of one individual falling victim to multiple overdoses.

Piccirilli said the program is in part an answer to community members who have grown frustrated by one person receiving multiple doses of naloxone.

The sheriff said he realizes they can’t arrest their way out of this crisis. If someone has criminal charges related to the overdose, the sheriff’s office will work to get them into drug court.

“Many of these people that are addicted, they’re broken. They’re not even thinking about treatment,” Greene said. “They’re in a time of need. This could end up saving some lives.”

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the commissioners approved paying Rudzik Excavating $257,000 for sanitary-sewer construction on Pineview Drive in Austintown.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered the construction last year when tests found unacceptable levels of fecal coliform bacteria in Ohltown Road storm sewers. The new sewers will protect Meander Reservoir from sewage pollution.

Rudzik will remove 17 existing septic tanks on the road and put in new sewer lines. The project should be complete within four to six months, officials said.