For more information you can contact the EMS department via email at Nick.adams@cobbcounty.org

Cobb CARES

• Cobb Fire is dedicated to the needs of the community.
• Many of our citizens are unaware of the vast number of services that are available to them and, as a result, often resort to dialing 911.
• The CARES team is a specialized unit that seeks to offer people an alternative to relying on emergency services when frequently more appropriate resources are available.
• Areas addressed include, but are not limited to, mental health, substance abuse, fall prevention and education, elderly assistance, etc.
• Our referrals come from fire crews who recognize issues while performing their regular duties.

Every year, 250,000 adult Americans die from cardiac arrest. The key to surviving a heart attack is based on the "Chain of Survival." Early defibrillation and advanced care are paramount. When you see a possible heart attack victim, call 911 immediately and then begin CPR.

If you feel you may be suffering from a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services has thoroughly trained paramedics and emergency medical technicians who are ready to assist you.

How to recognize a heart attack:

Not all of these symptoms occur in every heart attack. If any occur, call 911 immediately!

• Chest pain that lasts more than 3-5 minutes.
• Pain that feels like a "pressure," "fullness," "squeezing," or "heaviness."
• Pain located behind the breastbone then spreads to the shoulder, neck, lower jaw, or down the arm. Sometimes, the pain may even be felt in the back.
• Lightheadedness, "feeling dizzy" during the pain.
• Fainting, completely losing consciousness.
• Sweating, breaking out in a cold sweat but without a fever.
• Nausea, usually without vomiting.
• Shortness of breath.

There is an opioid abuse epidemic in Georgia and throughout the entire country. Opioids are used to dull the sensation of pain. Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. Many produce a sense of euphoria and result in addiction.

Opioid drugs also pose the danger of accidental overdose, which can stop breathing. By definition, overdose is ingesting more than the recommended amount of a substance. Drug overdose often implies the toxic and overwhelming effect of drugs taken in amounts more significant than the body can handle.

Death and permanent organ damage can occur.

Naloxone blocks or reverses the effects of opioid medication, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. Naloxone is used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency. It should be used until the patient can receive emergency medical care for an overdose.

Signs of Opioid Overdose

#1 sign of opioid overdose is unresponsiveness

Other signs include:

• Awake but unable to talk
• Limp posture
• Face is pale or clammy
• Blue fingernails and lips
• For lighter-skinned people, the skin tone turns bluish-purple; for darker-skinned people, the skin tone turns grayish or ashen
• Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic, or has stopped
• Pulse is slow, erratic, or not there at all
• Choking sounds or a snore-like gurgling noise (sometimes called the “death rattle”)

Georgia’s Amnesty Law

• Although most overdoses occur in the presence of others, fear of arrest and prosecution prevents many people from calling 911
• Georgia’s Medical Amnesty Law protects victims and callers seeking medical assistance at drug or alcohol overdose scenes
• Limited liability for possession of small amounts of drugs and/or alcohol- this applies to the victim as well as the caller
• Limited liability for breaches of parole, restraining orders, probation, and other violations
• Naloxone immunity for prescribers, pharmacists, and first responders 

Citizen Narcan Program

Naloxone will be available for purchase from retail pharmacies to anyone desiring to have the drug on hand to treat an opioid overdose. For more information on how to obtain Narcan, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/stopopioidaddiction/opioid-basics/naloxone.

Five steps that could help bring a friend or loved one back from an overdose.

Step 1: Identify the overdose.

Opioids suppress the body's urge to breathe. If someone is not breathing or is struggling to breathe, try calling the person's name and rubbing your knuckles on their chest. If there's still no response, they could be experiencing an overdose.

Other signs of overdose are blue or pale skin color, small pupils, low blood pressure, slow heartbeat, slow or shallow breathing, snoring sound, and gasping for breath.

Step 2: Call 9-1-1.

After identifying an overdose, get help as quickly as possible. Call 9-1-1. Make sure to say the person is unresponsive, not breathing, or struggling to breathe. Give a precise address and location.

Step 3: Give rescue breaths.

Giving oxygen can save someone from experiencing an overdose. Perform basic CPR:

• Make sure nothing in the person's mouth blocks breathing.
• Place one hand on the person's chin and tilt the head back. Pinch their nose closed with the other hand.
• Administer two slow breaths and look for the person's chest to rise.
• Continue administering one breath every 5 seconds until the person starts breathing independently.
• If the person is still unresponsive after repeating for 30 seconds, you can give naloxone.

Step 4: Give naloxone.

Follow the instructions for the form of naloxone you have—injectable or nasal spray. Remember to give rescue breaths while you get ready.

After giving naloxone, continue giving rescue breaths, one breath every 5 seconds. If the person is still unresponsive in 2 to 3 minutes, you can provide a second dose of naloxone. Continue breaths until emergency responders arrive.

Step 5: Stay until help arrives.

Stay to make sure the person:

• Doesn't go into withdrawal
• Doesn't take more opioids, which could send them back into overdose
• Doesn't go back into overdose and need additional doses of naloxone
• Doesn't experience rapid or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, seizures, sudden stopping of the heart, hallucinations, or loss of consciousness, all of which require immediate medical attention

Help stop prescription drug abuse by dropping off your expired, unused, or unwanted medications for safe disposal. For more information on how to properly dispose of your unused and unwanted medicine, visit https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.