Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a $2 million federal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant to support the city’s fight against the opioid crisis. The four-year grant will support the Opioid Overdose Reversal Project, which will support efforts to train and equip Chicago Police Department (CPD) patrol officers in all 22 Police Districts to carry and use naloxone to reverse overdoses, strengthen street outreach to link residents to treatment services, project evaluation and community education. The grant will support improved emergency response to opioid overdoses across the entire City through the expanded use of naloxone, an overdose reversal medication. The initial pilot will include six police Districts most impacted by opioid use on Chicago’s West and South Sides. All patrol officers in these six pilot Districts will complete an approved Narcan training curriculum and be qualified to reverse an opioid overdose when equipped with FDA-approved Narcan Nasal delivery devices. All Chicago Fire Department (CFD) vehicles are also already equipped with Narcan. This new expansion to police members will save more lives by allowing the first emergency responder on the scene to administer the lifesaving medication when necessary. The grant will also support new efforts to link residents who have experienced an opioid overdose to addiction treatment and support services. CPD will coordinate with CFD, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), the University of Chicago Health Lab and the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA) to identify gaps in care, better align emergency healthcare protocols and implement best practices to connect overdose patients with support services and addiction treatment.