Photo By Eve Baker | Fort Wainwright's Police Chief Tom Kearns displays the Sun Rise Eagle blanket during...... read more read more
FORT WAINWRIGHT – The opioid overdose epidemic has affected every part of the country, including remote communities such as Fairbanks, Alaska. The City of Fairbanks held a symposium on the topic from May 15-18, and Fort Wainwright’s Chief of Police Tom Kearns was a valued participant, earning the “Sun Rise Eagle Blanket Award.”
Kearns spoke to the attendees as a member of the “Boots on the Ground Panel,” which brought together professionals from law enforcement, emergency medical care and behavioral healthcare “to share their experiences, insights, and recommendations concerning the opioid crisis,” according to the event brochure.
In a letter to Kearns about the award, Marsha Oss, event organizer and the Fairbanks Reentry Coalition Coordinator, wrote, “The Sun Rise Eagle Blanket Award honors the bravery, dedication, and commitment of first responders in the face of adversity. Your department’s exceptional service as first responders to opioid incidents has made a significant impact, and it is our honor to recognize your achievements.”
During the panel discussion, Kearns noted that while Fort Wainwright has not had many overdose cases, he saw a significant number of such incidents while working in law enforcement in Indiana.
“Our fire department was going every half hour to an overdose call. Luckily we haven’t seen that up here yet,” Kearns said. “With the influx of fentanyl coming out this way, there’s a chance of accidental overdose from touching something from a first responder standpoint. The fire department has Narcan, and we’re working to get all of our officers equipped with Narcan as well.”
In addition to sharing knowledge with the opioid response community and preparing for the possibility of overdoses cases on Fort Wainwright, Kearns has been involved in a wider community outreach program targeted towards soldiers on Fort Wainwright.
Called “Community and You,” the program is a collaboration between the Fairbanks Wellness Coalition, Interior Alaska Center for Nonviolent Living, and the Fort Wainwright Police Department. The goal of the group is to provide a connection to the local community and all its resources for soldiers stationed at Fort Wainwright, particularly single soldiers living in the barracks.
To date, the Community and You team has distributed “care bags” to soldiers living in the barracks at a weekly dinner event. The bags contained such items as snacks and canned beverages, stress balls, stickers, toiletry items and literature on mental health and other community resources.
The group has also coordinated a gun lock distribution event to be held at the Post Exchange on June 17. They will distribute hundreds of cable gun locks free of charge to patrons who stop by their table in the main lobby area.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2023 16:42 |
| Story ID: | 445688 |
| Location: | FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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