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Karim Shamsi-Basha
Phoenix Program
Vestavia Hills firefighters get ready to work at Fire Station No. 1. The newly-announced Phoenix program will allow those who need help overcoming drug addiction to walk into the police department or any of the city’s five fire stations at any time and ask for help, without fear of being arrested.
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Karim Shamsi-Basha
Phoenix Program
Vestavia Hills firefighters stand next to their fire trucks at Vestavia Hills Fire Station No. 1.
In Greek mythology, the phoenix was a bird that was continually reborn, rising out of the ashes.
With the help of volunteers and first responders, the city of Vestavia Hills hopes to offer those suffering from drug addiction the same chance to rise out of their situation and create a new beginning.
The Phoenix program is currently being enacted by the city, and will allow those who need help overcoming drug addiction to walk into the police department or any of the city’s five fire stations at any time and ask for help, without fear of being arrested.
“We want to help our citizens,” Mayor Ashley Curry said. “... When they make the effort to get help, we need to help them.”
If the person who walks into the police department or fire station has drugs on their person, the drugs will be confiscated, but no arrests will be made.
“I’d like for Vestavia Hills to set an example,” Curry said.
The first step by the city will be to call Bradford Health Services or another resource agency, which will then come either to the station or to the hospital, if the person has been transported, to perform their initial assessment. Bradford uses a 14-page assessment to determine what kind of care the person needs, and Bradford staff will work to make sure they get it, so long as the person is willing to accept help, said Bradford’s Rachel Patterson.
The city's communications director, Cinnamon McCulley, said while Bradford will most likely be called after-hours or on weekends, the city does not have an exclusive agreement with them and other agencies are available as needed, and depending on the patients needs, another agency may be called.
While there are a number of treatment centers and ways to receive help, the best treatment option is in-patient, Patterson said.
“You have the best success when you do residential [treatment for] four to six weeks,” Patterson said.
For those who complete treatment with Bradford, there is also continuing care that will help the person the rest of their lives, Patterson said.
The program is in response to the growing problem of opioid abuse and other drug problems across the country, and the problem isn’t unknown to Vestavia Hills.
Deputy Police Chief Jason Hardin said the issue has gotten worse in the past 20 years because drugs are more easily available than they used to be. The area has also seen an increase in heroin, and Fire Chief Marvin Green said heroin and prescription drugs are the two most frequently-found drugs.
During his time in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Curry would often learn of drug dealers “cutting” drugs like cocaine or heroin down to weaken them.
Now, drugs are stronger, he said. Dealers are lacing the drugs with fentanyl and, in some cases, carfentanil, one of the most potent opioids.
Green said nowadays, you don’t have to go to some “seedy street corner” to buy drugs. It’s as simple as picking up the phone, he said.
In order to make the program work, the city will need volunteers, Curry said. If someone is having a medical emergency when they walk in, the city can transport them, but if someone is not having an emergency and doesn’t have anyone to take them where they need to go, the city does not want to assume liability for driving them to a treatment center.
So, instead, the city plans on reaching out to civic clubs and churches to possibly provide help in getting people where they need to go in order to get help, Curry said.
The initial assessment from Bradford is free, and Patterson said there are options for those who are indigent or will struggle to pay for treatment.
For those struggling with drug addiction, Hardin said they have to take some initiative for their own well-being.
“They have to want to get help,” Hardin said.
It can be difficult, especially for parents, Hardin said, to believe their kid has a problem, but sometimes, the reality is they do need help, even if they won’t admit it.
“Parents want to believe the good in their kids,” Hardin said.
When those struggling with drug addiction do receive help, Patterson said it changes their entire life going forward.
A few months ago, Patterson saw someone she hadn’t seen in 16 years. The person had walked out of rehabilitation at Bradford, not committed to turning his life around, Patterson said.
Sixteen years later, the man walked into Patterson’s office and told her how he was inspired after receiving Bradford’s help. He eventually got help, changed his life and now has a job and a family, Patterson said.
“That’s very rewarding,” Patterson said.
To receive help, visit the police department at 1032 U.S. 31 [Vestavia Hills City Hall] or go to any of the city’s five fire stations, listed below:
► Station 1: 509 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
► Station 2: 2925 Columbiana Road, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
► Station 3: 3201 Morgan Drive, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
► Station 4: 13041 Liberty Parkway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35242
► Station 5: 3241 Cahaba Heights Road, Vestavia Hills, AL 35243
To volunteer to help with transportation, contact Curry by calling 978-0100 or emailing administration@vhal.org.
