First responders play a critical role in overdose response, yet they may have limited opportunities to connect across agencies and share strategies. To address this gap, the Wisconsin Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) Public Health Analyst (PHA) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) hosted the first annual Overdose Prevention Summits for First Responders in April 2026. The WI PHA began working with the DHS Bureau of Community Health Promotion to plan five summits across Wisconsin, held in Onalaska, Wausau, Oshkosh, Milwaukee and Madison, in September 2025. The partners designed the summits to bring first responders and public safety personnel together to learn about diversion and deflection initiatives, using data to inform overdose response, compassion fatigue and burnout, and emergency medical services (EMS) leave-behind and community paramedicine programs.

Across all five locations, the summits drew more than 250 attendees from over 130 agencies and 43 speakers. Among the speakers, the WI PHA drew on personal EMS experience to discuss how compassion fatigue and burnout affect overdose response. In post-event evaluations, approximately 90 percent of participants said they would recommend hosting the event again, reflecting a strong base of support for future annual summits that shows how sustained planning and cross-sector partnership can build a statewide learning community for overdose prevention.