BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund announced a new executive order aimed at tackling the city’s fentanyl crisis.

Lund says the order isn’t an emergency declaration, but a directive for her staff to redirect their focus to combatting the opioid epidemic.

The executive order calls for immediate increases in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and police patrols in downtown Bellingham, ramping up drug enforcement laws, and setting up a new emergency response hub.

Mayor Lund made the announcement Tuesday at the site of the new hub on Commercial St, which will open later this week.

Local data shows that the city will likely see around 1200 overdose calls this year, smashing last year’s record of 898. In the first month of 2024, 104 overdose-related calls were made to emergency services in Bellingham.