By Siena Duncan

Chattanooga Times Free Press

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Hamilton County’s new overdose prevention team is live and ready for calls, as of Monday morning.

Announced earlier this year by County Mayor Weston Wamp, the team is the first of its kind in Tennessee, officials have said. It’s modeled after some teams in municipalities in other states, like North Carolina and West Virginia.

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The team consists of pairs of paramedics and peer support specialists — people with experience overcoming addiction. It will operate through the county’s Emergency Medical Services division.

A pair from the team will respond to calls where someone is refusing an ambulance but is facing a substance abuse crisis. The pair will th

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