New Rochelle police say three people are dead and one is in critically condition after a group of people overdosed on drugs on Saturday.

Police say they got a call Saturday afternoon from a man who said he thought he was possibly overdosing and was with three others who were unresponsive.

They say the caller was disoriented and could not tell them where he was. Dispatchers, however, were able to locate the four men at an apartment at 50 Fountain Place by using the caller's cell phone signal.

Three men were pronounced dead on the scene and the caller was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police say the apparent overdoses were deadly because the drugs were laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is reportedly 50 times more potent than heroin.

State Sen. Pete Harckham is on the Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorder Senate Committee and says the opioid crisis that gripped the Hudson Valley several years ago has gotten worse.

"We're in even more of a crisis because the addition of fentanyl has exacerbated, so the numbers continue to grow, both in New York and nationally," Harckham says.

Those who are fighting the opioid battle on the front lines say this is about more than saving drug users from themselves -- it is also about helping entire communities.

"It's always challenging because this is a disease of denial and very often people think things are good, they don't need treatment, tomorrow will be a better day," Harckham says.

Police have not yet identified the victims and are asking the community to call authorities if they have any information.