UC community paramedicine course combats region's opioid epidemic
Fire science and emergency management program invites the public to learn how Ohio communities can unify to address urgent public health concerns
Larry Bennett, chair of the fire science and emergency management program at University of Cincinnati, personally invites the public to attend an open panel discussion and keynote address on March 12 to learn how Ohio communities can unify to address concerns like the current heroin epidemic.
Professionals and leaders from local fire, health, law enforcement and emergency medical services (EMS) organizations will discuss how community paramedicine and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) impact the local communities and how to expand the current outreach efforts.
Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus will be the keynote, speaking in support of the establishment of a county-wide QRT. The QRT in Colerain Township visits homes of citizens recently revived by Narcan to offer them transport to a treatment facility.
Community paramedicine services in Springfield Township may include follow-ups for recently discharged patients, medical support for chronic health issues and referrals to community support programs.
The panel is part of the Department of Fire Sciences community paramedicine course, a week-long, hybrid course designed for professionals in community health services. The program examines best practices in community paramedicine response, using local examples to demonstrate the transformative nature of these services. The course is geared toward anyone who wants to learn how to coordinate with emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to more effectively respond to the populations they serve.
I enjoy being an agent of change to move the industry I love, fire and EMS, to a higher level.
Larry Bennett Program Chair, UC Fire Science & Emergency Management
Mark Johnston demonstrates EMS techniques with a manikin. Photo/Provided
Ten UC professors from multiple disciplines (fire science, social work, medicine, nursing and counseling) are collaborating to present this program, reflecting how combined effort is required to tackle large-scale community health issues like heroin overdoses and frequent 911 calls. The program demonstrates how collaborative, action-based services can combat nation-wide problems like addiction and in health care gaps.
Bennett hopes that increased public awareness and empowerment will attract attention from more lawmakers, hospitals administrators and any other potential partners. Establishing policy and securing funding are top priorities for these critical programs to be sustainable and scalable.
Communities and individual citizens often do not know where to start in addressing epidemics and complicated issues of this magnitude, and Bennett wants to help connect the dots between problem and solution. He would love to see a county- or state-wide network for paramedicine and QRTs developed in the near future. Passion for his field drives Bennett's pioneering spirit.
"I enjoy being an agent of change to move the industry I love, fire and EMS, to a higher level," he explained.
The full course includes two days of on-site programming on March 12-13, and an online component March 14-16. For the first time, UC is also offering a one-credit option for an abbreviated version of the course. Cincinnati Quick Response Team members & Violet Township community paramedics will be on site to provide ride-alongs so participants can get a first-hand view of these services in action.
For more information about the community paramedicine course or panel, please contact Larry Bennett in Fire Science and Emergency Management at lawrence.bennett@uc.edu.
Image featured at top: Larry Bennett shows a Colerain Township QRT vehicle. Photo/Provided.
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's students, alumni and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Scientists: Slushy snowmelt isn’t just a nuisance
February 13, 2026
Slushy snowmelt isn’t just a nuisance, scientists say. It can send a toxic flood of road salt, sand and car exhaust, as well as dog poop, into rivers and streams, The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine's Yevgen Nazarenko, PhD, assistant professor of environmental and industrial hygiene in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, recently told The New York Times that research has shined a light on how pollution from all sorts of vehicles — planes, cars, trucks — can get trapped in the snow.
Love, Emma makes functional fashionable for individuals with disabilities
February 13, 2026
Emma Biros, an alum of UC's Special Education program, never wanted to be a teacher. Rather, she aimed to make the world a better place for people living with disabilities. She fell in love with transition work while working in CECH's IDD Education Center, which led her to a position with a local non-profit, Genesis at Work. Today, Biros is launching her Love, Emma line of adaptive clothing designed to make functional fashionable for young women with disabilities.
UC Alumni Association names top alumni award winners
February 12, 2026
The University of Cincinnati Alumni Association has announced this year’s recipients of its highest honors for UC alumni. The 2026 honorees include: Vinod K. Dham, CEAS ’77; Thomas D. Cassady, A&S ’76, Hon ’19; Padma Chebrolu, CECH ’92; Ryan C. Marable, PharmD, Phar ’13. Each year, the UC Alumni Association (UCAA) honors a select few of its more than 360,000 alumni based on their career accomplishments and contributions to the university and community, recognizing them during Alumni Week festivities each spring.