Baltimore details two-tier mass overdose rapid response protocol with unified command
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The Baltimore City Health Department described a two-tier rapid response protocol for mass overdoses — partial activation at 5–10 overdoses and full activation at 11 or more — using the Incident Command System and unified command with BPD during full activations.
The Baltimore City Health Department described a two-tier mass overdose rapid response protocol to the City Council public safety committee, outlining triggers, objectives and agency roles during incidents of multiple overdoses.
Commissioner Michelle Taylor said the protocol was developed after several recent mass-overdose events and finalized in meetings with agency representatives, culminating with an in-person meeting on Dec. 2. “The objectives of the protocol are as follows: immediate response and life-saving measures, public health service delivery and partnership and collaboration,” she said.
Taylor described a scalable activation structure: “Partial activation will be triggered by 5 to 10 overdoses and full activation will be triggered by 11 or more overdoses,” and said the Baltimore City Fire Department will notify the health department when it responds to five or more overdoses within a one- to three-hour period. The health commissioner or their designee will activate the plan, she said.
The protocol relies on the national Incident Command System. Taylor said that during a partial activation the Health Department will lead with support from BC Moore (the mayor’s Office of Overdose Response), the fire department, OEM and BPD; during a full activation the Health Department and Baltimore Police Department will conduct unified command and the city emergency operations center will coordinate resources.
Taylor said the response will prioritize scene safety, rapid assessment and triage, naloxone administration, transport and medical surge management, and will aim to expand naloxone saturation and other harm reduction efforts while sharing public-health data and improving access to prevention, treatment and recovery services.
After an incident, the city will move into a recovery stage and transition long-term outreach and stabilization work to designated leads and conduct hot washes to identify improvements, Taylor said. The department plans tabletop exercises to test readiness.
Councilmembers pressed how disagreements in unified command will be resolved; Taylor said the unified command model means responsibility is shared and that detailed, preexisting interagency assignments clarify roles.