SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham to combat opioid overdoses by improving emergency response time cleared the Senate Public Health Committee Tuesday.

“The prevalence of opioid addiction and overdose in our country is a crisis and we need to find immediate solutions to prevent opioid-related deaths,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Our first responders are heroes in this fight and we need to ensure they have every tool available to respond quickly and effectively to suspected overdoses.”

Senate Bill 1258 would require emergency medical technicians in Chicago to report treatment of an individual experiencing a suspected or actual opioid overdose to the city for use in the Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP), developed by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

The ODMAP provides real-time overdose data throughout an area to mobilize an immediate response to an overdose spike. Each suspected overdose is plotted to a map that allows local officials to identify trends and develop strategies to more effectively respond to overdoses.

“We cannot afford any delay in addressing the opioid epidemic that is devastating our communities,” Cunningham said. “Introducing this program in Chicago will save countless lives by assisting our first responders in quickly reaching and treating overdose patients.”

Senate Bill 1258 goes before the full Senate.