WEBVTT POND QUICKLY TO ANY EMERGENCY AND THAT AFFECTS ALL OF US.>> IS THIS HER DOG?PAUL: ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES WAS THERE WHEN PARAMEDICS RESPONDED TO THIS OVERDOSE IN UNIONTOWN.>> HEY, WAKE UP.PAUL: THE WOMAN IS REVIVED AND WHEN QUESTIONED BY POLICE AND PARAMEDICS, THEY ADMITS TO TAKING OXYCONTIN.>> WHAT DID YOU DO, SNORT IT?>> YES.PAUL: THEY TAKE HER TO THE GLANCE AND TREATING HER WITH AN I.V.>> YOU ARE OVERDOSED.>> I AM?>> YES.PAUL: WHILE THEY ARE TREATING HER, ANOTHER CALLS COME IN.>> 19-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, HAS PAIN,DIFFICULTY BREATHING.PAUL: THAT CALL HA HAS TO GO TOANOTHER AMBULANCE.THEY SAY IT'S USUALLY NOT A PROBLEM, BUT IT CAN BE.>> WE'RE GETTING TO THOSE CALLS.THE TROUBLE IS WE'RE DELAYED GETTING TO THOSE CALLS.THOSE DELAY IN MINUTES MAY COST SOMEONE'S LIFE.PAUL: LAST YEAR THEY RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 1,000 OVERDOSE CALLS, ABOUT THREE PER DAY.RESPONSE TIME IS ALSO A CONCERN IN PITTSBURGH.>> A RESPONSE TIME IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF YOU'RE RESPONDING TO A DRUG OVERDOSE, YOU HAVE POTENTIALLY POLICE, FIRE, AND E.M.S. THERE.PAUL: IN FAYETTE COUNTY, THE PROBLEM BECAME CLEAR ONE LAST YEAR WHEN TWO SIMULTANEOUS OVERDOSE CALLS TIED UP MULTIPLE AMBULANCES SO WHEN SOMEONE CALLED 9111 BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING, THECLOSEST AMBULANCE WAS IN UNIONTOWN, 15 MILES AWAY.IT TOOK MEDICS 18 MINUTES TO RESPOND.>> 18 -- 18 MINUTES, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE?>> IT'S WAY OVER.PAUL: FORTUNATELY THE PATIENT SURVIVED.FREQUENTLY OVERDOSE VICTIMS COMEHERE TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY ARE SEEN RIGHT AWAY, BUT SOMETIMES THAT MEANS OTHER PATIENTS HAVE TO WAIT AND THAT IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR DOCTORS HERE.>> IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING.PAUL: THIS DOCTOR IS A EMERGENCY MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT UNIONTOWN HOSPITAL.>> IS THERE SOMEBODY WITH A HEART ATTACK WAITING TO HAPPEN, IS THERE AN APPENDICITIS OUT IN THE WAITING ROOM, THAT IS MY CONCERN.WE DEFINITELY FEEL HAMPERED, WHAT CAN YOU DO, YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE 25-YEAR-OLD THAT IS BLUE FROM A HEROIN OVERDOSE EITHER.PAUL: HOSPITAL AND E.M.S. OFFICIALS TELL ME THE OPIOID OFFICIALS IS HITTING THEM AND TAXPAYERS IN THE POCKETBOOK.ONE EXAMPLE, HALF OF ALL OVERDOSE PATIENTS REFUSE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.E.M.S. CANNOT BILL INSURANCE IF THE PATIENTS CANNOT BILL TRANSPORT.