Ipswich to host overdose response training Nov. 16

The Ipswich Public Health Department announced it will host an overdose response training on Nov. 16, in partnership with North Shore Health Project/ONESTOP Harm Reduction Services.

The training will be held at 4 p.m. in Meeting Room C of Ipswich Town Hall, 25 Green St. It is open to the general public.

Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose and how to respond using naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The nasal spray works by blocking the effects of opioids, which stop a person's breathing, and fast administration can restore normal breathing and save lives.

The town offers free naloxone through Overdose Response Cabinets located on each floor of Town Hall near the automated external defibrillators and first aid kits, at the Public Library by the elevator on each floor, and at the Hall Haskell House restroom. Outdoor cabinets are also installed at the Central Street Fire Station, on the Manning Street side of the building, and at the Linebrook Fire Station. Residents are encouraged to take naloxone from the cabinets to keep at home or in their vehicles in case they need to respond to an overdose.

Director of Public Health Colleen Fermon said in the release, "We encourage community members to take advantage of this training to learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose and administer naloxone in an emergency. By making this knowledge and lifesaving medication more accessible, we can help ensure residents feel better equipped to respond when someone needs lifesaving help."

For more information about the training, residents can contact the Ipswich Public Health Department at 978-356-6606. Registration for the training is also available.

North Shore Health Project/ONESTOP Harm Reduction Services operates the syringe services program in Ipswich, through which people who inject drugs can get sterile needles and syringes free of cost, dispose of used needles and syringes, receive overdose education and naloxone, and get connected to other services such as testing for hepatitis C, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Source: Town of Ipswich announcement, November 2, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.