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United States Sen. Thom Tillis visited the Triad for a roundtable discussion on public safety. Tillis met with local elected officials, law enforcement leaders and medical experts to discuss the impacts and potential solutions to the growing fentanyl epidemic in the region and state. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereIt took place at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. This is the second roundtable discussion Tillis has hosted on the topic. The first was in Wilmington. When asked why he visited Winston-Salem specifically, he said it’s a community like many in the state that is dealing with opioid overdoses and deaths.”We have to solve it,” he said. Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.A firefighter from the Winston-Salem Fire Department was present for the discussion. He says the department frequently deals with the impacts of substance abuse in the community. “Its a very big concern for us,” he said. “I would say, on average, about 25% of our calls, overdoses, behavioral health emergencies along with overdoses.”Kristin Ryan, the director of the fire departments Behavioral Evaluation & Response, or B.E.A.R. Team, says the issue needs to be addressed from all angles.”Fentanyl overdose is really just a tragic thing for all families and the community as a whole,” she said. “So it is not just an individual problem. It is a community problem for us.”Those present at the roundtable discussion talked about a variety of solutions. A common thread was the need for resources. Several cited the need for more technology and people to stop drugs from entering the community and treating those with opioid addictions. Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsOn the federal level, Tillis says cutting old programs in favor of new ones may be a solution. “One thing you have to do is, ‘What are the new resources you need? And, how do you repurpose old resources?” Tillis said. “We almost always leave old programs on the book and add new ones, but we have to have an honest discussion about whats working and whats not.”Tillis said hed like to see programs such as B.E.A.R. expand into more cities with additional funding. It is not clear when or if additional resources will be put into place, but Tillis says he would like to see those efforts take place in the Triad. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love | Trending Stories