Somerville Hosting “Until Help Arrives” Emergency Response and Overdose Prevention Trainings

You don’t need to be a medical professional to help someone in an emergency. Sometimes, knowing who to call and what to do in the first few minutes can make an important difference.

This September, the City of Somerville is offering six community workshops where residents can learn practical ways to respond to a range of emergencies including injury or possible overdose. The workshops are designed for community members, and no previous training or experience is required.

“Knowing the simple but important skills taught in these workshops can help you be a good neighbor in an emergency – and they just may make the difference for you or a loved one at some point too. So I hope to see strong turnout for these free trainings,” said Mayor Jake Wilson. “Basic techniques like knowing how to stop bleeding until first responders arrive or knowing what information to have ready for 911 are vital tools any of us can have at the ready to help when needed. Somerville is full of people who care about each other, and this is a critical way to put that into action.” 

Presented as part of Somerville’s Year of the Neighbor initiative and in recognition of National Recovery Month, the workshops will be held at Somerville Public Library locations across the city.

"Wanting to help is part of our character as good neighbors; knowing how to help in a crisis is a learned skill,” said Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott. “Good luck is the intersection of preparedness and opportunity. 'We Keep Us Safe' starts with caring but only takes on significance when we reach out to learn how to turn that desire into action. These trainings aim to provide the skills to allow any of us to be just the right resource needed for a neighbor in crisis."

Until Help Arrives Trainings

These workshops are designed to prepare people without professional medical training to take lifesaving action during the critical minutes before first responders arrive. No prior training or experience is required. The series is presented by the Somerville Office of Emergency Management, and is an initiative supported by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency).

Participants will learn how to:

• stay safe in dangerous situations,
• stop life-threatening bleeding,
• provide comfort and support, 
• safely position an injured person, and 
• call 911 effectively.

Trainings will be held:

• Thursday, September 17, 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the East Branch Library
  • Join at: bit.ly/untilhelp917 
• Monday, September 21, 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the West Branch Library
  • Join at:  bit.ly/untilhelp921 
• Wednesday, September 30, 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the Central Library
  • Register at: bit.ly/untilhelp930 

The workshops complement the City’s “Be a Good Neighbor: Calling Is Caring” campaign, which helps community members understand who to contact when they see someone experiencing a medical emergency, mental health crisis, or possible overdose—or when they need to report another community concern. Learn more at somervillema.gov/howtohelp. 

Overdose Prevention Trainings

Presented by the Somerville Department of Health and Human Services, these trainings will help participants learn how to recognize and respond to a possible overdose.

Trainings will be held:

• Tuesday, September 8, 6-7 p.m. at the Central Library
  • Join at:  bit.ly/preventionSept8 
• Thursday, September 24, 6-7 p.m. at the East Branch Library
  • Join at: bit.ly/preventionSept24 
• Monday, September 28, 6-7 p.m. at the West Branch Library
  • Join at: bit.ly/preventionSept28 

For questions about the Until Help Arrives trainings, contact Lauren Mahoney at lmahoney@somervillema.gov. For questions about the Overdose Prevention trainings, contact Jake Savage at jsavage@somervillema.gov. To learn more about Year of the Neighbor, visit somervillema.gov/neighbor. 

Persons with disabilities can request accommodations to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville by contacting the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov in advance of the event.

If you need assistance understanding this information, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311). The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter for free.