Leaders in central Wisconsin met with met with Senator Tammy Baldwin in a roundtable discussion about the Fentanyl crisis.
S.A.F.E.R. Fire District Chief Josh Finke said that so far, only temporary solutions have been used to fight the fentanyl outbreak, and he hopes the discussion will help to come up with a long-term solution. He spoke about what his department is seeing in the community.
Finke said, "This is a significant problem in our area, and it's not only just the deaths that we have to worry about, but the fire departments, the police departments, we see a lot more than the deaths and how these issues can really affect families and how they tear families apart."
Baldwin said that it will take several different solutions to solve the issue, but one of them involves utilizing technology that airports have used for decades.
She said, "Our baggage gets screened through sophisticated equipment that can see inside without having to open it up. We have large-scale equipment that does the exact same things for vehicles and trucks, but we haven't purchased and implemented that."
Baldwin also said that we have to focus on where the drugs are coming from, and hold the ones responsible for making it and trafficking it, accountable. She said, "Cracking down on Chinese chemical supplies means sanctions frankly for companies that are producing those precursor chemicals that you need to make fentanyl. Their chemicals that are coming are killing Americans."
The county health officials thanked Baldwin for her visit. She said it was important that they are given the tools they need to address the crisis.
Baldwin talked about legislation that is currently working its way though Capitol Hill known as the Safe Response Act, that she says will help to make it easier for first responders to be trained to give overdose drugs to patients. The bill is currently being looked at in committee.
