Waldo County Organizations Can Request Free ONEbox® Overdose Response Kits for Community Sites in Maine

BELFAST, Maine, Sept. 29th, 2026: Waldo County businesses, schools and community organizations can request free ONEbox® overdose response kits to help people respond to an opioid overdose. Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) supplies the systems, an “AED for overdose” approach that places guidance alongside naloxone where people gather. Through this program, local employers can also connect with Pinetree Institute’s free Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) Maine program.

Waldo County recorded 15 suspected or confirmed overdose deaths in 2025, according to the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center in its July 2026 Maine Monthly Overdose Report, and has fielded over 600 overdose-related emergency calls since 2020, according to the Waldo County Regional Communications Center. Naloxone (sold under brand names including Narcan®) can reverse an opioid overdose when given in time. Public access naloxone gives people who witness an overdose a way to help before emergency responders arrive. (CDC)

ONEbox pairs naloxone storage with a one-minute emergency video that starts when the box opens and provides instructions in English and Spanish. A five-minute training mode helps staff prepare before an emergency, and a QR code provides smartphone access to the same video as a backup. During a suspected opioid overdose, a bystander should call 911 and give naloxone, then follow emergency instructions and the dispatcher’s guidance. Naloxone does not replace emergency medical care. (ONEbox)

The Waldo County Commissioners have partnered with Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) to cover every local public hall and business in every town and village with a free ONEbox and naloxone. Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) has also partnered with the Waldo County Regional Communications Center to analyze the past six years of overdose-related calls to ensure the effort is data-driven and informed by what is actually going on in Waldo County. Through leveraging local insight from Waldo County residents and cooperative data-sharing, Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) is working to support one of the most targeted naloxone saturation and training projects on the east coast to-date.

Local organizations can request a ONEbox and ask about eligibility, placement and training by emailing support@rthree.io. Requests are welcome from businesses, schools, nonprofits, community centers, public facilities, recovery organizations, treatment providers and faith-based organizations throughout Waldo County. ONEbox ships without naloxone, which the local deployment partner must separately supply and stock before a unit is ready for emergency use. R3 supplies the response system, not the medication.

Pinetree Institute delivers Recovery Friendly Workplace Maine in partnership with Portland Recovery Community Center. The free program helps employers reduce stigma, support employees and their families, and connect with recovery resources. Waldo County employers can contact Pinetree Institute’s business advisors through Recovery Friendly Workplace Maine to learn about participation alongside their overdose preparedness efforts. (Pinetree Institute)

“The people who keep these resources visible and ready are what make a countywide effort work. Our role is to support those partners, so a neighbor facing an overdose has instructions and a way to help. The more fine-tuned, precise, and data-driven we can make our collective efforts, the better chance we have at reducing, and eventually eliminating, fatal overdose at-scale,” said Taylor Golden, Chief Research and Development Officer, Rapid Risk Reduction (R3).

About Pinetree Institute Pinetree Institute develops trauma-responsive approaches to social needs through education and community collaboration. The nonprofit serves educators, health and social service professionals, families, and community, faith and business leaders. It partners with Portland Recovery Community Center to manage Maine’s Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative. Learn more at pinetreeinstitute.org

About ONEbox® and Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) ONEbox® is a video-guided overdose response system that turns passive naloxone storage into an active tool for bystander intervention. Bilingual (English and Spanish) video instructions play automatically the moment the box is opened, a built-in training mode teaches anyone to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and respond, and QR-enabled reporting helps sites track restocking and use. ONEbox® makes public access naloxone usable by anyone, anywhere people gather, from workplaces and schools to libraries, transit hubs, and government buildings. ONEbox® is manufactured by our team in Huntington, West Virginia, and has been deployed with leading institutions including Duke University, Stanford University, Clemson University, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the State of West Virginia. Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) builds connective, responsive risk reduction infrastructure for communities working toward zero fatal overdoses. Learn more at oneboxready.com

Media Contacts

For ONEbox® inquiries, free training, and free consultation on overdose response strategy: Brent Henderson, Outreach Lead, Rapid Risk Reduction (R3) brent@rthree.io | (727) 331-7279 | oneboxready.com