Governor Wolf has declared the heroin and opioid epidemic a statewide disaster emergency.

Officials say the declaration is the first of its kind for a public health emergency in Pennsylvania.

It will utilize a command center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to track progress and also enhance coordination of health and public safety agencies.

"I am taking this step to protect Pennsylvanians from this looming public health crisis, and I am using every tool at my disposal to get those suffering from substance use disorders into treatment, save more lives, and improve response coordination," said Governor Wolf.

There are 13 key initiatives listed in the declaration that will include a collaboration between state agencies such as Departments of health, drug and alcohol programs and Pennsylvania State Police.

"I routinely challenge all commonwealth agencies to think innovatively about how they continue to address the opioid epidemic and seek solutions that last long beyond our tenure in this building," Governor Wolf said.