RTD joins White House’s Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose initiative
The White House announced a nationwide call-to-action on Wednesday, asking stakeholders from across all sectors to commit to increased training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications. RTD has joined the initiative, along with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose also includes public and private partners in air travel, education, hospitality, and entertainment.
At RTD, Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, is carried by all POST-certified Transit Police officers and contracted security supervisors. Additionally, all contracted security guards have immediate access to Narcan in their vehicles. Narcan is also stored and available at RTD’s major transit hubs across RTD’s 2,342-square-mile service area. In 2023, Narcan was successfully administered to 103 individuals experiencing an overdose at RTD’s stops and stations, in buses and trains, and at transit facilities. In the first two months of 2024, RTD-PD administered Narcan to 22 individuals.