Paramedics in Multnomah County responded to 700 opioid overdoses in 2017.
AMR paramedic Leah Gordon say these calls are now routine.
“My partner and I had two today in 10 hours,” said Gordon. “When we run these calls, we're used to seeing the worst of the worst, the good, bad and the ugly.”
Gordon has been with AMR for three years.
“I think when I first started I was surprised by how much heroin and opioid overdoses were happening,” she said.
“There's definitely something to be said about reviving someone and having a conversation with them and giving them a new outlook and weigh in on them getting help,” she continued.
There's an emotional toll that comes with this unique intimacy.
Paramedics carry a drug called naloxone, more commonly known as NARCAN.