Albuquerque Community Safety and Albuquerque Fire Rescue Connect Overdose Survivor to Immediate Treatment Through “Golden Opportunity”
From overdose to opportunity: City responders help a mother choose treatment
ALBUQUERQUE – A recent overdose response in northwest Albuquerque highlights how Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Behavioral Health Responders and Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) are working together to save lives and create real pathways to recovery through the City’s Golden Opportunity initiative.
Golden Opportunity is a partnership between ACS and AFR that connects individuals revived from opioid overdoses with immediate, treatment and direct access to ongoing care. The initiative ensures that people receive medication for Opioid Use Disorder, including Suboxone (buprenorphine), as quickly as possible, followed by transport to local treatment facilities. The reduces the risk of repeat overdoses and supporting long-term recovery.
In this incident, AFR firefighters and paramedics arrived to find a woman in her 30s who had overdosed on fentanyl in her car outside a shopping center. Firefighters administered Naloxone (Narcan), provided lifesaving medical care, and stabilized her on scene. As part of the Golden Opportunity initiative, AFR’s capacity to administer buprenorphine in the prehospital setting represents a vital advancement in delivering timely, evidence-based care to individuals experiencing substance use disorder.
Early initiation of medication helps stabilize patients in crisis, reduces unnecessary emergency department transports, and improves connections to follow-up care, benefiting both individuals and the broader healthcare system.
Once the woman agreed to be transported for treatment, ACS Behavioral Health Responders Danna Gonzalez and Samantha Cooke responded to provide continued support beyond the emergency response. As the ACS team prepared to transport her, the woman became hesitant. Through thoughtful conversation, encouragement from responders, and support from her partner, she ultimately agreed to accept help and was transported by ACS to the Bernalillo County Behavioral Health Services CARE Campus for further treatment and services.
“When first responders and behavioral health teams work together, we don’t just save lives, we help people start healing through programs like Golden Opportunity,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Compassion and teamwork truly change lives.”
This response exemplifies the Golden Opportunity model in action: AFR delivers lifesaving emergency care and immediate access to buprenorphine, while ACS provides compassionate follow-up support and transportation to treatment—creating a seamless transition from crisis to recovery.
“With overdoses, every second matters, and our firefighters are trained to act quickly to save lives,” said AFR Chief Emily Jaramillo. “Just as important is the role ACS plays after stabilization, ensuring people have a real path from emergency care to recovery.”
“This work is about meeting people where they are and helping them see a path forward when everything feels overwhelming,” said ACS Behavioral Health Responder Danna Gonzalez. “Sometimes it takes patience and honest conversation, but when someone says yes to treatment, that moment can change the rest of their life.”
Albuquerque continues to invest in integrated public safety solutions that prioritize health, dignity, and recovery for all residents.
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About Albuquerque Community Safety
Albuquerque Community Safety is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.