Not on Our Watch: How EMS Can Build and Lead a Community Narcan Distribution Program

EMS agencies sit at the center of the opioid epidemic, responding to overdose after overdose—often treating the same individuals multiple times. While EMS has mastered overdose reversal, we have not always been positioned to prevent the next one. Narcan distribution programs empower EMS agencies to move upstream, reduce overdose deaths, engage high-risk individuals, and build community partnerships that change the trajectory of opioid use disorder. This presentation will guide EMS leaders through the process of developing and implementing a sustainable, data-driven community Narcan distribution initiative. Attendees will learn how to identify target populations, build partnerships, train responders and bystanders, secure stable funding, measure impact, and avoid common pitfalls. Real-world examples and templates will help any agency—fire-based, third-service, hospital-based, or private—launch a program with immediate lifesaving benefit.