NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco County was hit hard during the opioid epidemic. In fact, it still has one of the highest overdose rates across Florida.
However, the Pasco County Fire Department has been instrumental in reviving people who have overdosed by using Narcan. Now, some people in long-term recovery stopped by the fire department on Thursday to give their thanks.
"Life, now, is beautiful. I live a life of service to my community," Cesar Rodriguez said. "I have a successful job, two kids, and a wife that’s also in recovery."
However, life wasn’t always beautiful for Rodriguez.
“I’ve been in long-term recovery for the past 10 years from opioid addiction,” Rodriguez said.
Thanks to first responders, Rodriguez is now living a sober life.
“First responders saved my life and gave me a new lease on life," he said. "I was brought back with Narcan several times."
Glenn Traiger with the Pasco County Fire Department said they started a program to give resources to people who have been revived. These resources allow the impacted people to go on an easier road to recovery.
"In 2022, we knew the overdose numbers were extremely high, and as a fire department, our main concern is the citizens," Traiger said. "Starting this program is helping us now overcome the crisis of the amount of overdoses that are affecting the county."
Several local recovery organizations teamed up Thursday to thank first responders in person. The event began with people in long-term recovery holding a banner that said “Thank You for Saving Our Lives.”
“We are here in honor of first responders’ appreciation day to thank you for saving our lives,” said Eve Hosley Moore with the Alliance for Substance Addiction Prevention.
Rodriguez said it's important for him to show his appreciation for the first responders who continue to save lives every day.
“They’re out there administering Narcan and reversing overdoses every day, so we want to make sure they see the benefits of their hard work," he said. "We want to show them that their hard work is not in vain and we've become productive members of society. We can turn our life around to help others and pull them out of their troubles."
