Safe Stations

Effective April 20th, 2017 the Annapolis Police Department as well as every Annapolis Fire Station, every Anne Arundel County Fire Station, as well as all County police stations, will be a designated as a safe environment for individuals looking for assistance to start their path to recovery from heroin/opioid addiction.

How This Works

At any time of day or night that an Annapolis or Anne Arundel County resident who is the victim of a heroin/opioid addiction decides or gathers up the courage to ask for help, they can go to the Annapolis Police Department, any Annapolis or Anne Arundel County Fire Station, or any Anne Arundel County Police Station and speak to the personnel on duty.

In close partnership with the Crisis Response Team, individuals seeking help will be assisted in obtaining the necessary detoxification resources. Upon arrival to a designated Safe Station, firefighters and paramedics will perform a medical assessment not to exceed their scope of training as Maryland Emergency Medical Services providers. If there is cause for concern that there is something else medically wrong with the patient, transportation to an appropriate medical facility will be completed. The Crisis Response Warmline will be contacted at 410-768-5522 and advised that a Safe Station patient is being transported to the hospital by EMS. The Crisis Response Team will communicate with the hospital staff to ensure a handoff from the medical facility to crisis response. If no immediate medical issue is identified, the Warmline will be contacted and advised that there is a Safe Station case. Crisis Response Team will work closely with the individual in the station to determine the best resource and destination available. Individuals seeking assistance will be required to drop any needles and paraphernalia into a sharps collection container located at each fire station. If illegal substances are with the individual seeking assistance, the appropriate police agency will be notified for disposal purposes only.

This is a City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County cooperative effort to combat the heroin and opioid addiction crisis that is gripping our communities.

The program is a cooperative effort by all levels of government.