PORTLAND, Ore. — A child under the age of 2 was hospitalized Friday evening after police and fire officials said she came in contact with drugs in her parents' vehicle on Southeast Hawthorne.
According to a statement from Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner, officers responded around 5:45 p.m. on Friday to the parking garage at Safeway on Southeast Hawthorne and 27th Avenue for the possible overdose of a 15-month-old child. The child was unconscious and not breathing as officers and fire crews made their way to the scene.
An off-duty former paramedic was first to arrive at the scene, according to Portland Fire & Rescue. They were able to do CPR until other medics arrived.
PF&R spokesman Rick Graves said a witness told police and firefighters that the girl had spit something up in the parking garage before the call came in. According to Graves, they were able to determine that she had ingested tin foil with fentanyl residue on it.
"Fifteen-month-old children, we all know, they sample — they just put things in their mouth," Graves said. "My kids did it."
Armed with that knowledge, Portland Fire & Rescue used the opioid overdose reversal spray Narcan on the girl, and Graves said that she began breathing again after that. The toddler was then taken to the hospital by ambulance. Graves didn't have additional details on the girl's condition.
"It is believed the child came in contact with a drug substance in the family vehicle," Benner said. "Officers searched the car and found drugs, paraphernalia, foil, scales and torches."
The child's parents remained at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation, according to PPB. No arrests have been made, but the Oregon Department of Human Services was notified.
Portland Fire Commissioner Rene Gonzalez took to X, formerly known as Twitter, Friday morning to tweet about the child "overdosing and choking on tinfoil," calling for urgent action from the state and local governments.
"This is a horrific reminder of how the drug crisis is destroying our community," Gonzalez said. "We need State Legislature to address hard drug use. It is also time for the city and county to strongly consider declaring a public health emergency."
Over the summer, Portland Police told KGW that officers responded to three child overdose calls in the span of ten days, all related to fentanyl.
“This is tragic and unacceptable,” said Portland Police Bureau Captain Jake Jensen. “Going to those calls where kids have been harmed, it's very impactful."
Graves said the volume of overdose or potential overdose calls that firefighters respond to is taking a toll on them.
"We have overdose calls dominating our day to the degree that our training is interrupted," Graves said. "We can be in the middle of a training exercise and respond on an overdose call and again, and again, and again, and not be able to continue the training that ... is (preparing) us to respond to what you would think we would respond to: major vehicle accidents, residential fires, commercial structure fires, whatever it may be."